After Story: Determination
by Magnus Prime
Summary: An 'After' story based on Tomoyo's route from the VN 'Clannad'. Two reformed delinquents continue to struggle to overcome their pasts to create a future together.
1. Ruminating

**Tomoyo After Story: Determination  
** _ **A Tomoya/Tomoyo fanfiction**_

 **Chapter One: Ruminating**

I rubbed a stiff shoulder as I opened the door to my apartment. It had been a busier day at the recycling shop than usual, with multiple pick-up requests, repair requests, as well as a slew of customers in the shop. It didn't help that it had also been the chief's day off, leaving me to run the place by myself. I was really looking forward to a quiet evening with my girl.

I entered to the smell of meat and vegetables cooking, and looked to the kitchen to find Tomoyo removing her apron. She hurried over and linked her fingers behind my neck as she gazed up at me. "Welcome home, Tomoya."

"I'm home," I said before lowering my head to kiss her gently but as passionately as my tired mind would allow. "Something smells good."

"Of course it does," she replied as she made her way back to the kitchen. "Everything I cook for you is full of love, so of course it smells good. It'll taste good, too, since I'm making it for you."

"Of course," I agreed with a smile; it never did any good to disagree with her about these kinds of things anyway, so I headed to my room to change.

One change of clothes and a hand- and face-wash later I returned to the delicious smells. "Anything I can do to help?"

She gestured with a ladle handle to the nearby bowls and chopsticks. "You could set the table for us."

A few minutes later we sat on opposite sides of the kotatsu and put our hands together. _"Itadakimasu."_

"So, how's school treating you?" I asked as we ate. "Has it fallen apart yet?"

She sighed heavily. "Not yet, but no thanks to the Student Council. I swear, the walls could be falling down around us and they'd want to have a meeting about it."

I snorted. "I don't doubt it."

"I'm been starting to get why you don't like the Council," she grumbled. "Being president doesn't really mean being in charge."

"Yeah, it just means having to live up to the expectations of others," I grunted, then gestured at her with my free hand. "You got what you wanted from being in the Student Council, so why don't you just quit?"

"I've thought about that," she said while scratching her head, "but how would that look if I quit right after saving the sakuras?"

Considering how well-known she'd become not just at school, but throughout the country… "Like you were using the Student Council?"

"How rude!" she huffed indignantly, then quickly softened. "But you're right; you're supposed to be the president to serve other people, not just yourself." She looked down at her plate. "I chose to run for president knowing the consequences, and I have to accept them. At least things have settled down enough that I can come to have dinner with you more often."

"And I'm really happy for that," I said as I reached across the table and took her hand as I gazed into her eyes.

"T-Tomoya…"

Dinner ended up delayed a bit due to kissing.

* * *

"Are you doing all right at work?" she asked as we snuggled.

"Yeah," I said, running a hand through my hair. "But…I feel like I could be doing more."

"Well, it can't be helped right now," she said in her usual matter-of-fact tone. "You could have caught up on your studies during the summer, but you messed around with Sunohara right up until…when?"

"When he left for home to look for work," I said, my heart and my voice filled with regret.

"I'm not really trying to blame you or anything," she said. "It wouldn't do any good anyway; you are where you are."

"I'd love to go back and kick my old self's ass," I sighed. "Even Sunohara got his act together before I did."

"I'd love to see that," she said with a giggle.

"I just wish there was some way I could…I dunno…make up for what I missed." I sighed. "I know I can't redo high school, but if I could learn the stuff that I missed I might be able to do better than a recycle shop."

"Tomoya, you do good things for a lot of people in your job," she protested.

"I know, it's just…" I shrugged with the shoulder she wasn't leaning on. "If I hadn't given up in high school, maybe I could have made more of myself."

"If you hadn't given up, we might never have met," she countered in a worried tone.

I sighed; I understood what she meant, but I still couldn't help feeling like a failure as a man.

* * *

She wasn't able to come over the next day due to Student Council stuff, so that left me to make dinner for myself, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing; she had taught me a few simple dishes that I could make for myself.

What was a bad thing, however, was that it left me alone with my thoughts, which gleefully worked on beating me up. I ate in front of the TV, half of me watching and the other half hating myself. On the TV was an old show that I'd happened upon about giant shapeshifting robots and thought about how neat it would be to be able to fight for something big…well, bigger than myself at least.

I watched as the five members of a team joined together into a larger robot and thought about how neat it would be to be part of a team like that; Separate, individual, yet coming together for a common purpose, a common good. I thought about what I spent most of my time doing when I wasn't working; namely, trying to do convince Tomoyo to do 'perverted' things with me. I almost enjoyed our back-and-forths around that, but it still left me feeling rejected by her.

After the episode ended I turned off the TV to think about why her rejections bothered me. Why did I want to have sex with her so badly? It couldn't have been just for the sensations that I'd heard came with the act; any girl would do if it was just for that.

I lay back on the mat and started at the ceiling and thought about why I wanted to do it with Tomoyo the way that I did; the only thing I could come up with is because I wanted to feel closer to her and felt like having sex with her would do just that.

But why did she always call it 'perverted'? As embarrassing as it would be, I decided to talk to her about it the next time we were together…not in public, of course. Maybe we weren't thinking of the same thing; being as vague with our words as we'd been could have easily led to a misunderstanding.

As I filed that thought away for later, another took its place; my job situation. While it was honest work that paid well, I couldn't shake the feeling that I could have been more. Sleeping through classes never gave me the chance to learn about what I was capable of, and I was paying the price for it with a low-level job. Was there some way I could make up for it? I considered the possibility of calling the school to see if I could borrow some old textbooks and try to teach myself, but the only times that I'd be able to study would be after work and on the weekends, so it would likely take away from my time with Tomoyo, so I didn't think that would work. In the end, I decided to file that away to talk with her about as well; I didn't want to make any decisions that could affect her without talking to her about them first.

"… _you do good things for a lot of people in your job…"_ I remembered her saying.

But what if I could do more? Or better?


	2. Checking in With the Missus

**Chapter Two: Checking With the Missus**

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

Tomoyo's face had an expression of disbelief as we ate across from each other. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"Yeah, on life," I retorted, leveling my gaze at her.

She blinked, apparently considering my response. "Well…I guess it isn't too surprising, with the way you were talking the other night," she said as she pushed her hair over her ear. "And I remember you saying back in December that you would come to me, even if it's a little late; does that have anything to do with it?"

I nodded. "I remember hearing somewhere that 'knowledge is power', and I don't feel very powerful with part of a high-school education."

"Why are you so worried about being powerful?" she asked, confusion in her eyes.

"What I mean is that these companies want people who know stuff, and since I don't know much I don't have much control over my life," I replied. "I want to become smarter so I have more options than just physical jobs."

"But there's nothing wrong with-"

"I'm not saying there is," I interrupted. "But if I can do more, isn't it stupid of me to just stay here, doing a job that I may not really be made for?"

She looked away, and I knew what her next words would be: "If you say so, Tomoya, then I guess it can't be helped."

I reached over and covered her hand with mine. "Look, I'm really glad that you love me even though I'm like…well, this, but if we get married-"

"If?" Her eyes snapped to mine. "What do you mean, 'if'? Don't you want to get married?"

"Yes! Yes!" I exclaimed, raising a hand to stop her. "All I mean is that I want to be able to provide a good life for us."

"Oh. Okay." She lowered her gaze back to her bowl. "For a minute there I thought you might be getting tired of me."

"I misspoke, okay? Good grief, could I please not have to walk through a minefield, here?" I griped.

"I'm sorry…"

I sighed heavily. "No, it's my fault; I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry."

"No, you're right," she countered. "I need to have more faith in you instead of believing that you'd break up with me so easily."

"Thanks," I said, though it didn't stop me from thinking back to when I actually did break up with her. "I can understand why you'd worry."

"Thanks."

We ate quietly for several minutes before I worked up the nerve to talk again. "So, would you be okay with me learning stuff? Like I said, I wanted to talk to you about it since it would take out of our time together."

She shifted in her seat. "Well, I don't like that we wouldn't have as much time together, but if it would make you happy…"

"I think it would make us both happy in the long run," I suggested.

She nodded, though hesitantly. "Okay. And I'll help you if I can; that'll give us more time together."

I smiled humorously. "Getting help from the Number Two student from school? I could think of worse."

"Number One, now," she retorted with a flip of her hair. "Ichinose graduated the same time you did, and she was number one last year."

Even though it had been nearly a year, for some reason I remembered meeting Kotomi as though it was yesterday…and a long time before that, oddly enough. "Yeah, I guess she would have, huh? Well, congratulations on your promotion, then."

"Thanks," she chuckled, blushing attractively.

"So, do you think you could get me some of the textbooks from the school?" I asked. "I wouldn't want to borrow yours, of course."

"I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises. I'm sorry," she finished, looking regretful.

"It's okay," I said, trying to comfort her. "I'd thought of calling the school myself. I could go to the library on my days off and check out books, too."

"Can you wait until I can go with you?" she asked, abruptly leaning toward me.

"S-Sure," I replied, startled by her sudden eagerness. "That actually sounds like it could be fun."

"But no perverted stuff between the bookcases," she warned.

"Never even thought it," I replied with a raised hand.

We finished our dinner, cleaned up and went to our usual snuggling.

"Listen, um…" I wasn't sure how I was going to bring this up or even if it would be a good idea to bring it up considering how our dinner conversation had ended, but… "I want to talk to you about something, but it's…kinda embarrassing. And personal."

"Okay…" she said cautiously. "I guess it's okay."

I licked my suddenly-dry lips. "I...I think we've misunderstood each other when it comes to…well, 'perverted' things."

She sat up with an exasperated sigh. "You really want to talk about this? Now?"

I nodded earnestly. "I want to be sure we understand each other so we don't hurt each other because of having wrong ideas."

She seemed to calm a bit. "Okay, I think I understand." I watched as she took on a thoughtful expression. "Well, if you think it's best…"

"I do."

"Then what do you want to say?" she asked as she leaned back into me.

I sighed heavily. "Um… first off, I'll admit that I was a little crazy when we first started going out, but now that I've been out in the adult world for a while I've started to really think about stuff."

"I see… Is that why you wanted to talk to me about this?"

"Yeah. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but…anyway, back to 'perverted' stuff…" I took a deep breath, trying to regain some lost nerves. "I want to…do that…with you because I want to be close to you."

She was quiet for a long time before she spoke again. "When you say 'that' are you referring to…sex?"

I nodded before realizing that she couldn't see me. "Yeah...but nothing weird or anything, just…" I felt my face heat up. "Just two people who love each other…well, loving each other."

"Tomoya…" The emotion in her voice told me she understood.

"I love you, Tomoyo, so I want to…love you."

She was quiet again, then: "I…want to love you, too."

My heart swelled and I think my arms tightened around her.

"But!"

But? "What's wrong?"

She sat up again and half-turned toward me. "I-I want to do that, but I w-want to do it with my husband."

"Y-Your husband?!" I was shocked for several seconds before I understood what she meant. "O-Oh…right…"

"You weren't thinking of trying to do it now, were you?" she said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"N-No, I wasn't! Really!" I exclaimed.

"Really?" she said, suspicious look still in place. "Maybe I should go home now."

"N-No!" I repeated. "I really wasn't thinking like that! I was just thinking about why I was the way I was and came to this stuff, really!"

She said nothing, but the corner of her mouth twitched before she turned and leaned against me again. "Okay, Tomoya; let's get married then."

"Huh?" Had I heard her correctly?

"Let's get married," she repeated, confirming my suspicions. "We're both old enough, right? I'd have to get my parents' permission since I'm not twenty yet."

"U-Um, sure," I said, somewhat intimidated by her confident tone.

"What, does the idea of me being your wife bother you?" she huffed.

"No, it's not that," I said, still trying to get my feet back under me. "You just surprised me with that, that's all." I gave her another squeeze. "I'd love to marry you and be your husband."

"Then it's settled," she decided, snuggling into me further. "We'll find someone to marry us, somewhere to get married, and a beautiful dress for me and a nice suit for you."

"Wow, it sounds like you have it all figured out," I said, impressed and amused.

"Of course I don't have it all figured out," she huffed. "I said 'someone' and 'somewhere'; I didn't give names 'cause I don't have them, yet."

"Yeah, you're right," I admitted. "So when do you want to get started?"

"Let me talk to my parents, first," she said. "There's no point in getting all excited if they end up saying 'no', right?"

"Yeah, you're right," I admitted yet again before giving her another squeeze. "I really hope they say 'yes', though."

She didn't reply, but sat up and turned around completely for another round of kissing.


	3. Bookworming

**Chapter Three: Bookworming**

I pulled open the heavy wooden door, letting Tomoyo enter the library before me. Not unexpectedly, the smell of paper and dust filled my nostrils as I entered the building after her. Since it was the weekend there were a lot of people there, walking up and down the aisles, sitting at the tables and desks, and some quietly talking in small groups.

We wandered around for a few minutes, trying to figure out where I should start in my studies. "I'll go look at the Japanese and English books," my girl finally told me. "You check out the math books; does that sound good?"

I pondered her idea for a moment before nodding. "That sounds good. Your English is better, so you'd be able to find something more my level; I'd just get lost. Now that that's decided…" I clapped my hands together, only to duck my head meekly as several people glanced my way with disapproving looks.

To her credit, Tomoyo simply shook her head with a small smile. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Marry me?" I said with my best puppy-dog look.

"Right," she replied with a smirk before heading over to the languages section.

I chuckled awkwardly to myself as I headed over to check out the math books. As I passed by the bookcases that held the science books I noticed a familiar head of hair near one of the windows. Was that who I thought it was?

As I got closer I recognized the reading posture; shoeless, sockless, sitting on a cushion, childish hair ornaments. Her finger moved horizontally across the page as she read. "K-Kotomi?"

She didn't even look up. I knew she was the girl from school; I must have gotten the wrong name. "Kana?"

Still no answer.

"Kaede? Kagami? Kazashi?" I was about to give up when I remembered the way she introduced herself. "Kotomi…chan?"

Her finger stopped and she looked up, and a happy expression spread across her face. "Tomoya-kun…"

I was surprised; she remembered my name after all this time? At least I had her odd way of introducing herself to help me remember, but… "Yeah, it's me," I said as I smiled down at her happy expression; she actually looked adorable, like a little girl. "What are you doing here…? I guess that's a dumb question, isn't it?"

"Mmmnnn mmmnnn," she replied, shaking her head. "The only dumb question is the one you don't ask."

"Thanks," I said. Was she even capable of making fun of people?

I then grew more than a little uncomfortable as she scooted over on her cushion and patted the unoccupied half. "Are you going to read with me?" she asked with bright eyes.

"I…don't think that's a good idea," I replied, trying to be polite.

"?"

I wasn't sure what the three question marks meant, but… "I don't understand all of these kinds of books; I'm not smart enough yet."

"I could teach you," she said, blinking adorably – GAH! – up at me.

"I-I'm sure you could," I said, trying to find a way of escape, "but I need to get back to the basics." That thought gave me an idea. "That's right; could you help me find some good math books? I'm trying to make up for what I missed in school, but I'm not sure that I'd find the right ones."

She was on her feet in an instant. "I would be happy to help you, Tomoya-kun," she replied. Without warning, she took me by the hand and led me to the section that held the math books. Once there she stopped and turned to me; I noticed that she hadn't let go of my hand. "Before I can help you pick some books, though, I will need to determine your current skill level in math."

"Okay," I said while giving an experimental tug to see if she'd let go of my hand; she didn't. "So how do you want to do this?"

"Well…" she visibly swallowed as she stepped closer, "we would need to go somewhere without distractions, where I could give you some problems and see how you solve them."

"Or if I could solve them," I quipped, giving my hand another tug as I stepped back. "I think I'd be okay with that, but I'd want to check with Tomoyo so she could be there with me."

"Tomoyo?"

"My fiancée," I said proudly. "I don't want to give her a reason to not trust me."

She finally let go of my hand. "I…I see. S-So Tomoyo-chan and you are c-close, then?"

I blinked; didn't she understand what a fiancée was? "Well, yeah; we'd have to be close to be engaged, right?"

"R-Right," she conceded. "O-Of course."

"Ah, there you are," a familiar voice called, and we turned to see Tomoyo headed our way. "Have you found any good…math…?" she trailed off as she saw Kotomi. "Tomoya, who's this?"

I gestured to the former...well, still library girl. "This is Kotomi-chan. I met her last year, toward the beginning of the year, I think."

"'Kotomi-chan'?" Tomoyo echoed. "Looks a little old for '-chan', don't you think?"

I shrugged. "That just what she likes to be called," I replied as Kotomi nodded.

"Whatever. Why is she with you?"

"She said she'd help me find the right math books, but she'd need to figure out how much I know now."

My girl narrowed her eyes at Kotomi, who shrunk under her gaze. "And what exactly would she need to do to do that?"

"I-I would c-copy a few p-problems for him to s-solve," Kotomi managed to reply.

"I was about to go look for you when you got here," I jumped in, trying to defuse a potential bomb. "I didn't want to give you a reason to not trust me."

Her gaze softened as it switched to me. "Y-You…really?"

I nodded vigorously. "Yeah. Really."

"That is what Tomoya-kun told me," Kotomi added helpfully.

"'Tomoya-kun'?" Tomoyo repeated, narrowing her eyes again.

"Let's just…get me tested, okay?" I said, taking Tomoyo's hand.

* * *

"Wow, your math skills are really bad," Tomoyo remarked as she examined my 'test' paper.

"N-No," Kotomi protested before looking down. "I-I made the questions too hard."

"I don't think so," I said. "I remember seeing some of these kinds of questions last year. " I looked over at her with a smile of resignation. "I just suck."

"You do not 'suck'!" the genius girl insisted, and I had to stifle a laugh at her usage of slang. "You are wonderful!"

"At math! At math!" I exclaimed, barely managing to keep my voice down. "And yeah, I suck at math, but at least this gives me some idea where to start."

"From the looks of it, elementary school," Tomoyo quipped as she handed me my 'test'.

"That is not true!" Kotomi protested again, more forcefully this time. "This was an assessment of high-school level math, and Tomoya-kun did…not well, but we now know what level of books to look for." With that, she rose from her seat and headed over to the stacks of books.

"What's with her?" Tomoyo asked once she was out of sight. "I was just kidding, you know?"

"I'm not sure," I said. "I only talked to her a couple of times toward the beginning of last year, but she doesn't seem to understand stuff like jokes or teasing."

"I get that," she said, still looking where Kotomi had disappeared. "Why does she call you 'Tomoya-kun'?"

"That's just her thing, I guess," I replied. "She won't answer to anything besides 'Kotomi-chan'; maybe something bad happened to her when she was a kid."

"What's her last name?"

"Ichinose, I think."

Her eyes widened. "Ichinose Kotomi…Wait, she went to our school?"

I nodded. "That's right."

"I think she was the number one student at the end of last year!"

"Probably."

She sighed, becoming more subdued. "All right…I guess it's okay for her to help you, but…I don't trust her."

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean you don't trust her?"

She looked over at me, and I could see anxiety in her eyes. "I could see the way she was looking at you; I think she likes you."

I tugged at my collar as the walls started closing in. "W-Well, if this is going to be a p-problem, then-"

"I-It shouldn't be," Tomoyo interrupted. "She's…She's just helping you get books, right? Right! So we'll get the books and go home and that'll be it."

I always thought it was cute how she would doubt herself with things like this. "Hey, you're my girl, and you're my only girl," I said as I took her in my arms and kissed her on that spot on her neck she always liked. "Right?"

"R-Right," she replied with a shudder.


	4. Learning Curve

**Chapter Four: Learning Curve**

I grunted as I heaved the bags of library books onto the desk in my bedroom.

"Are you okay?" Tomoyo asked. "I could have carried those for you, you know."

"I know you could," I said as I rubbed at my shoulder, "but a man needs to be able to carry his own load."

"But you don't need to prove your manliness to me."

"Thanks, but it's just something I've gotta do."

"If you say so," she replied. "Did she have to get so many books, though? I know she said something about reading it from different perspectives, but still…"

"Hey, she's the expert as far as I'm concerned," I replied. "Besides, you won't be around to tutor me all the time, so the extra 'teachers' will help."

"If you say so," she repeated.

"Anyway, since you're here…" I smiled slyly as I grabbed one of the books, "…maybe we could get started?"

* * *

"I don't get it," I said, scratching my head as I read.

"Look," Tomoyo said, pointing to the example. "They substitute in for 'x', so all you have to do is solve for 'y'."

It was as though a light had been switched on. "Oh, I get it! So you can solve either one for one of the letters and then plug it into the other!"

"They're called 'variables', Tomoya," she said with an amused look. "But yeah, you're right; solve for one variable in one equation and then substitute it into the other equation."

I flopped back in my chair, feeling a little drained. "It's exhausting, but a little exciting when you finally understand something."

"Yeah," she replied, but her voice sounded…tense.

"You okay?" I asked. "You're not tired of teaching me already, are you?"

"No!" she blurted, then calmed just as quickly. "It's just that…when you're studying like that…you look even more handsome than usual," she finished, looking at the floor.

Was she serious? "You mean…you like watching me read or something?" For some reason, the idea seemed familiar.

She said nothing, but nodded as her cheeks pinked.

Part of me wanted to tease her about it, but… "I-If teaching me's going to bother you, then you don't have to," I said. "I'll find some other way."

"No, I'll just…deal with it," she said. "What a stupid thing to get all worked up about."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I went back to my paper and the next problem. "So, it looks like it'd be easier to solve for 'x' in this one…"

*whimper*

I tried to ignore her distress as I worked out the problem; maybe ignoring it would help her ignore it. "…subtract '3y' from both sides…"

"Looks good, Tomoya," she said in a strained voice.

I bit my lip to keep from smiling. "Thanks. Now divide by four to get 'x' by itself…"

I could hear her chair creak, and I allowed myself a quick glance to see her fidgeting.

"…now substitute into the other equation…"

*grunt*

"I think I got it!" I announced after finishing the equation. "it's 'x equals five' and 'y equals seven!" I showed her my paper. "Is that right?"

A low growl was my only warning before I found myself knocked to the floor, with my fiancée on top of me. Before I could get my wits about me, she robbed them from me again with a passionate kiss. It took almost all of my will power to not give in, and in the back of my mind I figured that she'd settle down eventually.

* * *

"S-Sorry about that," she said as we straightened ourselves out. "I guess I'm not gonna be a very good teacher."

"Well, maybe you would be for sex ed," I joked, trying to put her at ease.

"That's not funny, Tomoya," she complained, then her expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe…"

I gave her some time to finish her sentence before trying to help her out. "'Maybe' what?"

She looked up at me with uncertain eyes. "Maybe you should get Ichinose to help you."

"But-"

"Look, I could be wrong about her," she interrupted quickly. "She is kind of a strange one, so maybe I was wrong about her."

"Tomoyo…?"

"What's important is that you succeed in what you want to do, and I need to support you as best I can," she said, squaring her shoulders. "Otherwise I won't be a very good wife in the future."

I sighed with a smile. "All right, but I'll only study with her if you're around; I think it would help you feel better about it, and if she does…thinkofmethatway…she's not as likely to act on it. Besides," I said with a shrug, "we don't even know if she can or will teach me."

* * *

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to ask her the next day.

"Nuts," I grumped, thumping a fist against the library door. "I didn't know they were closed on Sundays. At least I have tomorrow off, so I can come back." I shoved my hands in my pockets as I turned to head back home; Even though the boss had given me Monday off to make up for my busy day last week, it still pissed me off that I had gone all the way out there for nothing.

I must have been pretty lost in my grumblings because I jumped when I felt a gentle touch to my shoulder. I reflexively whirled with my fists raised. "What do you…want…? Oh, sorry."

Kotomi stood trembling before me, carrying a bag that I assumed was full of books. "T-Tomoya-kun, good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," I replied, lowering my hands. "Sorry about that; you startled me."

"Do you live out here?" she asked, apparently ignoring my statement…or maybe she didn't understand it?

"No," I replied, jerking a thumb over my shoulder, "I'm back that way a bit. Are you going to the library? It's closed today, you know."

She nodded gracefully, then nearly lost her footing; the bag must have been heavy. "I know that it is closed; I am returning some books that I borrowed."

"I see," I said, eyeing her load. "That looks pretty heavy; can I carry it for you?"

She gasped with a happy smile. "Oh, would you? That would be wonderful!"

I smirked as I took the bag from her; it was as heavy as it looked. "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you out here," I said as we started back toward the library.

"R-Really?" she squeaked. What was with the overblown reactions?

"Yeah. For reasons that I…well, can't get into, my fiancée won't be able to teach me from the books, so we were hoping that you'd be willing to help."

She didn't answer for several seconds, and it took me that long to realize that it was because she had come to a complete halt. "You…You wish for me to teach you?"

"If you have the time," I said. "I wouldn't want you to wear yourself out over stuff I should've learned over the last three years."

"I-I would love to help you," she replied. "You could come to my house and have tea and I will-"

"Whoa!" I held up a hand to stop her. "I'm pretty sure Tomoyo wouldn't be okay with that! Let's just...meet at the library on Saturdays for now. Would that be okay?" Public place; very good idea.

"Okay," she replied simply as we arrived at the library. I then waited as she put the books in the dropbox. "There. I do not like treating books like this, but it must be okay or they would not have this box in the first place."

"Right," I said, smiling to myself; what an odd girl.

We finally got the books dropped off and headed back to where we met. "Well…" I said, not sure how to leave, "…see you on Saturday?"

"Okay," she said, gazing at me with an unreadable expression.

"Well…see you, then," I said with a wave, feeling somewhat stupid.

I could feel her eyes on my back right up until I turned the next corner.

As I approached my apartment, an unfamiliar voice called out: "You know Sakagami, don't you?"

I stopped to face the owner of the voice; he appeared to be not much younger than me, and his hairstyle reminded me of the industrial high-school students last year when Sunohara played his stupid prank on Tomoyo. "Yeah, I do. Why?"

"She used to go to my school," he said smoothly. "She used to be a real troublemaker, even beat up some of my friends."

"I'm sorry about that," I said, deciding to not remind him that she only beat up bad people. "If it helps, she's not like that anymore."

He jerked his chin at me. "Yeah, that's good to know," he said. "See you around." And with that, he headed off toward the main part of town.

Something about that kid had me feeling nervous the rest of the way home.


	5. First Day, Last Day?

**Chapter Five: First Day, Last Day?**

The week passed before I knew it, and Saturday found me in front of the library again. "Well, here goes nothing," I sighed as I reached for the handle.

Like last time, the smells of dust and paper greeted me as I entered, but this time I felt something like nostalgia. Like last time, I found Kotomi by the window on a cushion, reading vertically this time. I blinked as I realized that she looked like she was dressed up, like she was going to a restaurant or something. She wore a black dress with white lace-type stuff around the collar and the elbow-length sleeves and, instead of the bead-type hair ornaments, she had small white bows tying up her pigtails. "Kotomi-chan?"

Like last time, her finger stopped and she looked up at me, and a happy smile spread across her face. "Tomoya-kun!" she exclaimed, but not too loudly. "Welcome back!"

"Hey," I greeted with a smile and a raising of my hand. "Sorry if I'm late."

"Mmmnnn-mmmnnn. You are not late at all." She closed her book and got to her feet, then looked on both sides of me. "Is Tomoyo-chan not here today?"

I shook my head. "She's got some stupid Student Council meeting this morning. She'll be here later, though."

"I…see," she said, and I noticed that her cheeks pinked as she spoke. "Then let us find a table and begin."

* * *

"Hey, that's pretty neat," I said as I leaned back in my chair. "Well, I don't hate parabolas anymore."

"Good for you, Tomoya-kun!" she exclaimed, clapping.

I ran my hand over my face to massage out some tension. "So…what's next?"

She gazed at me with another unreadable expression. "Could…Could we go for a walk?"

At the mention of movement, I suddenly noticed that my legs were feeling cramped. "Yeah, a walk might be a good idea."

I thought I heard her squeal as we got to our feet and headed to the exit. We left our books with the librarian with the understanding that we'd be picking them up again later. "That way we will not have to carry them," Kotomi explained with a shy smile.

"Sounds good," I replied with a smile of my own.

I wasn't familiar with the area around the library but apparently she was, so I followed her as she led us to a park that wasn't too far away. "I like to read here when it is nice outside," she explained.

"You planning on reading out here later?" I asked.

"I am," she replied with a nod.

"Sorry for keeping you inside on a day like this," I said. "Maybe if the weather's nice next Saturday, you could tutor me outside."

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands. "We could bring a picnic lunch and a blanket and books and we could-"

"Whoa, there!" I chuckled, holding up a hand. "I'm glad you're excited about this, but my fiancée's going to be with us, and I don't want to give her any reason to worry."

It was as though someone let the air out of her. "Of course…I did not mean to forget Tomoyo-chan." I saw her swallow hard. "When…When I see her I will ask what she likes and plan accordingly."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it. I think she will, too."

"Until then…" She suddenly grabbed hold of my arm. "Is this okay? I am just so happy to be with you again."

"Um…thanks, but…we really don't know each other very well."

"That is…partially true." She slowed, finally bringing us both to a stop as she let go of my arm. "Do you remember when we were children?" she asked while looking off in the distance.

"Huh?"

She turned to look at me with a fond smile. "You came into our yard, looking for a lost ball. I was practicing my violin, and you surprised me. We introduced ourselves to each other and, from that day forward, we were friends. We would read together, play house, tag…"

My eyes widened in shock as memories long-forgotten suddenly washed over me like a wave. "Oh my god…you had a backyard surrounded with bushes…"

"Yes…"

"And a white table and chairs where your parents would sit and talk or watch us…"

"Yes…" she said, tears clouding her voice.

"And when I couldn't get enough friends for your birthday party, I was too ashamed to show up." I said, looking down at the ground. "I guess I got so caught up in life after that…that I forgot." I looked over at my abandoned childhood friend, and the pain in my heart was almost unbearable. "I'm so sorry, Kotomi-chan; I shouldn't have bailed on you like that. It was my damned pride."

She looked over at me with a teary smile. "Thank you, Tomoya-kun. I forgive you, and hold no ill will toward you. In fact…" She stepped up to me and placed a hand on my cheek as she gazed into my eyes.

I swallowed hard at the look in her eyes. "I-In fact what?"

She said nothing, but took another step forward, pressing herself into me as she cried, and I realized that she must have been holding those tears for a very long time.

* * *

On the way home from the library I came across the same kid from the other day. He was leaning against a wall, smoking something that smelled funny. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hey," I returned. "How's it going?"

"Eh, okay," he replied. "Just hanging out with some friends."

I didn't see anyone else around but decided not to make an issue out of it. "Well…have fun, then."

"Hold up a sec," he said, smoke billowing from his mouth. "You know Sakagami-san, right?"

I was pretty sure I'd told him that the other day, but… "Yeah; she's my fiancée."

"Cool." He pushed himself from the wall and walked up to me as several other guys appeared out of nowhere. "I need you to give her a message."

"Sure, no problem," I said, trying to make myself as nonthreatening as possible. "What is it?"

I had very little warning before pain exploded in the back of my head and everything went dark.

* * *

"Tomoya! TOMOYA!"

I managed to open one eye to see a silver-haired girl with a black headband and a blue-haired girl with white ribbons in her hair. Both of them looked upset. "Oh. Hey. What's up?"

The silver-haired girl was on the verge of tears. "What happened to you?"

"I'm not sure," I answered honestly. "I think I got beat up."

"Beat up?" she asked, as she started to check me over. "Who did this to you?!"

"I dunno," I replied as I closed my eye. Something about the silver-haired girl was familiar…

I felt her shake me gently. "Tomoya! Who did this? How many times? How many people? Did you see their outfits? Were they from my old school?"

I raised a hand to slow her down, and it felt like my arm would pop right off. "Could we hold off on the questions for now? I don't feel so great."

"Ambulance! Ichinose, call an ambulance!" the silver-haired girl yelled at the blue-haired one, who quickly ran off somewhere.

Ambulance…? Yeah, an ambulance was probably a good idea…


	6. Memory Banks

**Chapter Six: Memory Banks**

My eyes fluttered open – or one did, at least – to a white surface with little black dots decorating it.

"Ah, you're awake," I heard a voice say, and I turned my head to find a man in a white coat smiling down at me.

"Am I in a hospital?" I croaked; my throat was really dry.

"Yes, you are," he replied, jotting something down on the clipboard in his hand. "Your friends brought you here; they're waiting outside right now."

I reflexively thought of the silver- and purple-haired girls and started to get up.

"Not so fast," he said, gently pushing me back down. "I'd like to ask you a few questions. You look like you've taken quite a beating, and we haven't determined the seriousness of your injuries, yet."

"Okay, doc," I grunted. "Shoot."

He looked down to his clipboard. "What is your full name?"

"Okazaki Tomoya."

"Your date of birth?"

"October 30, 1985."

"In what town or city do you live?"

"Hikarizaka. Hey doc, my head's starting to throb."

"Just bear with it for a little longer. What year is it?"

"2003-no, 2004." I grinned awkwardly. "I'm still writing the year wrong."

He chuckled softly. "I hear you; I do it, too. One last question…" He opened the door to the hallway and gestured, and the girls from earlier entered the room.

"Hey," I greeted. "Thanks for bringing me here. I don't know how long I would have laid there if you hadn't shown up."

"Okazaki-san," the doctor said with seriousness back in his tone, "what are their names?"

I studied their…reddened and teary faces? "I…don't know, sir. I…feel…like I know them, especially her," I said, gesturing to the silver-haired girl. "But…I'm sorry; I'm drawing a blank."

"Tomoya…" she whimpered, fresh tears starting to fall. "I'm Tomoyo. Sakagami Tomoyo."

"A-And I am Kotomi. You spell it with…three…" Apparently she couldn't finish her thought as she started crying quietly, and the silver-haired girl carefully wrapped her arms around the ornament-haired girl.

My heart went out to them. "I'm really sorry I can't remember."

"Don't worry about it too much, Okazaki-san," the doctor said gently. "From the looks of it, it'll all come back to you. I'd have to run more tests, but it looks like the trauma didn't cause permanent damage, so you should be back to whatever's normal for you in no time. In the meantime…" He gestured toward the door. "You need rest, so we'll leave you be for now."

"Thanks doctor," I said. "And thanks again, Tomoyo and Kotomi; I owe you one…or maybe more."

Understandably, all they could do was nod before following the doctor out the door.

As I lay back and let my eye fall shut I noticed unusually strong feelings toward the silver-haired girl…but also toward the other girl as well.

* * *

I mulled over my situation as I lay in the hospital bed, various needles and tubes stuck into me. On the TV was an old show that I'd happened upon about giant shapeshifting robots and I thought about how neat it would be to be able to fight for something big…well, bigger than myself at least.

I heard a knock and looked over at the sound of the door opening to see a man with the palest skin I'd ever seen step into the room. "Good afternoon," he greeted with a definite accent. "Are you Okazaki Tomoya?"

"Yes, sir," I replied as I turned off the TV; something about the man seemed awfully familiar. "Are you another one of the doctors?"

"No, but I do have a PhD in Theology; does that count?" he asked with what looked like a disarming smile.

"Probably not," I grunted with a smile of my own. "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?"

He rubbed a hand on his slacks before extending it toward me. "Pastor Jeff Ashton; call me whatever you want, as long as it's not a profanity."

My hand found my head as pain shot through it. "What the-" For a brief moment I could see the man before me with a girl with long-purple hair with a white ribbon in it. "Damn, that hurts," I groaned.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked. "Do you need a doctor – a medical one, I mean?"

I was about to say 'yes' when the pain suddenly faded. "Whoa…that was weird."

"What was?" he asked, returning to my bedside.

"It was…like a memory…but of something I can't remember."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I've heard about your situation. Maybe it'll come back to you when this clears up."

"I hope so," I sighed. "My memory loss has already hurt two people."

"That's a shame," he said, and I heard genuine sympathy in his voice. "Do they know it's likely temporary?"

"Yeah, but it didn't seem to help." I studied him for a moment. "Ashton-san, huh?" I said, then chuckled at the mouthful. "You're definitely not Japanese."

"Argh, my cover's blown," he said, and I could hear the humor in his voice. "Yeah, I'm actually from America...sorry about my Japanese – and my accent – I'm not very skilled, yet."

"Don't worry about it," I said, flinching at another 'memory flare'. "You cared enough to stop by, so I won't complain. You say you're a pastor?"

"Yes, sir! I live to serve."

"What's a pastor, anyway?"

"I'm a kind of teacher; I teach people about God's Good News, and help them in their journey to get to know him."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're not going to try to convert me to some religion, are you?"

"Not unless you ask me to," he said with another one of his smiles. "I'm just here to take care of any emotional or spiritual needs you might have, maybe pray for you if you'll allow it."

I sighed heavily; I would have put up more of a fight, but I didn't have the energy for it. "I guess it couldn't make me worse than I already am, so…sure, you can pray for me."

"I appreciate that," he said. "But first: How are you doing?"

"Well, I feel like I've been hit by a truck and lost part of my life…but otherwise, I'm fine," I replied, allowing a little bitterness into my voice.

"All right, I'm sorry. That was a bad question," he said.

"No, you're fine," I said, feeling a little guilty. "I guess I'm all right, considering what I've probably been through."

"You don't remember what happened to you?"

"Naw, but the doctor said I should get my memories back at some point. Of course, I don't know what I've forgotten, so…" I shrugged the best I could.

"I'm so sorry you're going through this," the pastor said sadly. "I can't imagine what it must be like."

"Thanks," I said; something about him warmed my heart, which felt kinda good and kinda weird at the same time. I felt a yawn coming on, and I gave in to it. "Sorry, boss, but I'm feeling pretty tired. If you're going to do that thing you were going to do, now would be a good time."

"Understood," he said with a sympathetic smile. "Do you mind if I touch you? We Christians usually lay hands on the people we pray for."

I shrugged noncommittally. "As long as it's nothing perverted, go ahead."

He chucked quietly. "Just…the shoulder should be fine."

"My left one; my right shoulder's busted."

He nodded before moving to the other side of the bed. There, he put a gentle grip in my shoulder as he closed his eyes. "Lord Jesus, I lift up Okazaki Tomoya to you. He's been hurt really badly and, because of this, has lost two precious things; his physical health and some of his memories. Please give him peace in this situation, and guide the doctors with your knowledge and wisdom to help him to a full recovery. May your will be done." He opened his eyes to look down at me. "There; short and to-the-point. Was that okay?" he asked with a smile.

"Works for me," I grunted, my eyelids feeling heavy. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he replied. "Take care." After giving my shoulder a couple of pats, he left the room.

With the room empty again, I pulled the covers up to my chin and allowed myself to drift to sleep.


	7. Familiar Faces, Unfamiliar Memories

**Chapter Seven: Familiar Faces, Unfamiliar Memories**

I woke up to the sound of knocking. "Come in," I mumbled as I worked on sitting up. I'd slept fine, but I'd had a bunch of weird dreams that I couldn't recall.

The door opened, and the doctor came in with his usual clipboard. "Good morning," he greeted with an even tone. Considering that I had just woken up, I was grateful for his thoughtfulness. "Let's see how the eye is doing." He made his way to the other side of my bed and reached toward my face. A moment later, I could feel something sticky pull from my cheek, and I realized that they must have bandaged my eye, which was why I couldn't see. "That looks a lot better," he said as he came into view in my previously-covered eye. "How does it feel?"

"Fine," I said. "It never really hurt in the first place, though."

"Then the anti-inflammatory was doing a good job," he replied, still examining my eye. Then he grinned. "Would you like to see how you look?"

I thought about it for a minute. "No, I'd better not. Just get me back to normal, and I'll start looking in mirrors again."

He chuckled softly. "Well, if it helps any, you're looking good. You're actually healing a lot more quickly than we thought you would."

"How much longer do you think I'll need to stay?" I asked.

"Eh, two, maybe three more days," he replied as he covered my eye with the bandage. "We'll check that later today to be sure, but I think we should be able to take that bandage off today. No, you've been sleeping a lot which, along with eating properly, has helped immensely with your healing. Being young helps, too," he said with a wink and a smile as he patted my arm a couple of times.

"Thanks, doc; I really appreciate everything you've done."

"Make sure to thank your nurse, too," he said with a wink. "From what I understand, you know her."

"Won't do much good if I don't remember her," I snorted. "But I'll be sure to thank her anyways."

"All right," he replied. "Well, I'd better get out of here; apparently you have a couple of pretty girls in the hall waiting to check up on you."

"Great," I moaned. "Tell me straight, doc; do I look like a human punching bag?"

"You look a little worse for wear, but not as bad as you seem to think," he replied as he opened the door. "Have fun."

No sooner had the door closed behind him than it opened again, revealing one of the hospital's many nurses. She was pretty cute, with short, purple hair with a white ribbon tied on one side. "Good afternoon, Okazaki-kun," she greeted in a small, unusually high-pitched voice. "I'm here to replenish your pain medication."

"The doctor told me that I should thank you for everything you've done…so thank you," I said. "He also said that I know you."

"You do," she said as she worked on removing an IV bag. "We were in the same class last year; I was your class representative."

"What's your name?"

Her movements paused for a moment. "My name is Fujibayashi Ryou," she replied as she started setting up the new IV.

There was a flicker of… "I'm sorry; I can't remember."

"That's okay," she replied, her already-tiny voice sounding tinier. "I know about your situation."

"Does it bother you? That I can't remember, I mean?"

"It does," she admitted, "but it's not your fault, and I believe that you will remember eventually, so I can wait." She finished setting up the bag and brushed her hands together. "There! You're all set!"

"Thank you, Fuji…bayashi…" I could feel…something…

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Do you need something?"

"Come closer," I said, waving her over. "Let me get a good look at your face."

She moved to the side of the bed with my good eye and leaned over slightly; she had beautiful blue eyes and a reddish tint to her cheeks. "Is this good?"

I licked my suddenly-dry lips. "Yeah, thanks… For some reason, when I said your name, I felt…something."

"Maybe you're starting to get your memory back," she said as she smiled softly.

"Yeah, I think so," I said, starting to get excited. "How's Kyou? Has she managed to snag Jeff yet?"

Her expression turned confused. "N-No… Who's Jeff?"

My heart sank. "Jeff. You know, the guy…wait, what am I talking about?" As quickly as it had come, the memory was gone.

I must have looked pretty lost, because Nurse Fujibayashi gave me a sympathetic look as she straightened. "It's okay, Okazaki-kun; I believe that you'll be all right. You remembered Onee-chan, after all. I…I believe in you." With that, she bowed and made her way out of the room.

In reality, it couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes, but it seemed like an eternity before the door opened again, this time revealing Tomoyo and Kotomi.

"Tomoya-kun; good morning," Kotomi greeted with a small bow before heading around the foot of my bed to my other side.

Tomoyo's approach was very different; she walked slowly up to the side of my bed, almost like a zombie, and when she got close enough I could tell that she hadn't slept well at all. "Tomoya…" she said weakly, sounding nothing like the strong, confident girl I knew. "How…How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing okay," I said. "What about you? You don't look so good."

She drew a lock of silver over her ear. "I barely slept a wink last night, and skipped school to come see you."

I gave her my best disapproving look. "The Student Council president shouldn't be…skipping…school…?" I trailed off and I heard the girls gasp as I realized… "Did…Did I just remember something?"

"I think so," Tomoyo said, a smile starting to spread across her tired-looking face.

"Oh Tomoya-kun, that is wonderful!" Kotomi exclaimed as she clasped her hands before her chest.

"But why are you here?' I asked Tomoyo. "Didn't I tell you that you shouldn't hang out with people like Sunohara…and…? Wait, that's not right…"

"You've already graduated," Tomoyo said, shaking her head.

I sighed as I adjusted my pillow under me. "I guess I have a ways to go, huh?"

"That you remember anything about us is remarkable, though," Kotomi offered.

"Thanks," I said. "Hey…are you working on a machine that lets you see other timelines?"

Kotomi fidgeted in her seat. "H-How do you know about that? It is only in the conceptualization phase at this time."

I grimaced. "Could someone translate that to 'Idiot' for me?"

"She means they've just started on the basic ideas…I think," Tomoyo explained.

"So what the hell am I remembering?" I grumbled, then thought back to my conversation with the nurse. "I've got memories that don't exist along with memories that do exist but can't remember."

"It's okay," Tomoyo said as she caressed my face. "At least you're trying to remember. It'll all come back to you; I'm sure of it."

"Thanks," I said, feeling a warmth in my heart from her touch. "I think so, too."

* * *

"How're you feeling, Okazaki-san?" Pastor Ashton asked as he stood at my bedside. "I understand you might be leaving us in the next day or two."

"Yeah," I said, feeling more than a little relieved. "The doc says I've been healing up quickly. I'm kinda worried about my memory, though; I've been remembering stuff that isn't…right?"

"What do you mean?"

I described the stuff I 'remembered' earlier. "What was really weird was when I asked about Kotomi's project, only to find out that she had barely started on it."

"That is interesting," he murmured thoughtfully. "Maybe…Maybe you were having a vision?"

"Oh, come on," I chuckled. "You make it sound like I'm in an anime or something."

"Not at all," he replied, chuckling along with me. "There are a lot of instances of God giving visions to people, even those who didn't follow him. Just…consider it, keep your eyes open, that's all I'm suggesting. I could be wrong, but he could be trying to show you something. Your 'memory' of your friend's work was what made me think of it, after all."

"All right, fine," I huffed. "It sounds ridiculous, but I'll admit that it'd be stupid to reject it without a good reason."

He studied me for I-don't-know-how-long. Finally he said, "I'm going to be praying hard for you, Okazaki-san; not just for a successful recovery of your health and memoires, but also that Jesus would guide you and give you wisdom."

For some reason I believed that, because he said it, good things would come as a result.


	8. A Free Man

**Chapter Eight: A Free Man**

I sat up in bed as the doctor reviewed my progress. "Well, you're fine according to our tests," he said as he flipped through several pages from a folder. "Any signs of head trauma have disappeared, the area around your left eye has healed up nicely…I think we're ready to kick you out," he finished with an impish smile.

"Thanks, doc."

"Unfortunately, I can't say how long it'll take for your memories to return," he said with a sigh. "The brain is an amazing organ and we've been able to learn a lot about it, but…" He shrugged. "Memories are outside our realm of knowledge right now. All I can suggest is that you get back to your regular activities as soon as possible; exposure to familiar elements has been shown to help with memory restoration. Get back into your old routine as much as you can: Go back to work, go on dates with your girlfriend if you have one, eat, sleep…you get the idea, don't you?"

"I think so," I replied. "I just hope I still have a job when I get back."

He waved his pencil at me. "From what I understand, one of those girls talked to your boss; she should be able to tell you what's going on."

I immediately thought of Tomoyo. She seemed like that type who could take charge and get things done; she was the Student Council president, after all. "I'll…I'll talk to them," I told him. "Thanks for telling me that."

"You're quite welcome." He put the folder on a nearby counter and moved to my bedside. "Now, let's see about getting you walking. I know you've been moving more the last couple of days, but I don't want to risk you injuring yourself right out of bed."

I eyed him suspiciously, thankful that I could do so with two eyes again. "You're not going to hold my hand, are you?"

"Now that you mention it…" With a sly smile, he headed back and opened the door. "Girls? I could use some help in here."

A smile spread across my face as Tomoyo and Kotomi entered the room. "Is it not exciting, Tomoya-kun? You get to go home today!" Kotomi gushed.

"And you get two beautiful women to walk you there," Tomoyo added as she walked up to my bedside and held out her hands. "Come on."

I smiled as I reached out and took hold of her hands; they were cool to the touch, but oddly warm at the same time. At first, she nearly pulled me to the floor but, after an apology, we were finally able to get me upright and on the floor. "Wow, the floor's really far away," I said, half-joking.

Kotomi looked down, then back up at me. "But it is right there."

I shared a smile and a chuckle with Tomoyo. "Don't worry about it; it was a joke."

"Ah, I see," she replied, clearly not getting it.

"It's okay, Ichinose-san," Tomoyo said. "His jokes are dumb, anyway."

"Hey," I protested.

"You worry about teaching him stuff, and I'll worry about the dumb jokes, okay?"

"Hey!" I protested.

"I understand," Kotomi said. "Each of us has our own areas of strength."

Tomoyo didn't reply, but looked into my face with a gentle smile. "Yeah, you're right…we certainly do."

* * *

I still ended up taken to the hospital exit in a wheelchair. "You girls will have your hands full enough after this," the doctor had said.

As we approached the main entrance, I saw a familiar face. "Okazaki-san!" Pastor Ashton exclaimed. "Are you a free man again?"

"Yeah, I've served my time," I replied, playing along. "Gotta say though; if security's this cute, I might want to stay a little longer."

"Tomoya-kun!" I looked up with a smile to see Kotomi covering her reddened face.

I looked back to the pastor, only to feel a gentle *whap* on the top of my head along with a "T-Tomoya…" from Tomoyo.

"Well, you're a charmer, aren't you?" the pastor quipped.

I opened my mouth, but Tomoyo beat me to it: "N-No, he isn't."

Pastor Ashton chuckled. "Well, your blush tells me differently, but okay…"

"Ugh…Come on, Tomoya; let's get you home." I smiled as I heard the frustration in her voice, and a moment later she took hold of my arm and started to pull me to my feet.

"Here, let me help," the pastor said as he took hold of my other arm.

"Come on, I'd like to do some of this myself," I complained. Then I shook my arm out of Tomoyo's grip and locked the brakes on my wheelchair before grabbing the armrests to push myself to my feet. "Thanks, but I'm a big boy now."

"I guess you are," Pastor Ashton said with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," I said, getting myself reoriented. After another thought I added: "Thanks for wanting to help."

"You're welcome. Hey, where are you headed? I'm headed back to my church in Hikarizaka; I could come with you if you're headed that way…you know, just in case."

I studied him for a moment. "Yeah, I live there, too. If you'd be willing to help, that'd be great."

"Are you okay with it, Tomoyo-san?" he asked. "You seem…protective toward him, and I don't want to get in your way."

"It's fine," she replied. "I could carry him if I had to, but I don't think he'd like it."

"I wouldn't," I confirmed.

"Well, then!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. "Shall we go, then?"

* * *

Fortunately, the train station wasn't too far away, but it still took us enough time for me to learn a bit about my traveling companions.

"I'm the pastor of a small church in Hikarizaka," the pastor explained as I half-walked, half-shuffled. "It's near Furukawa Bakery; have you heard of it?"

"No, but the last name is familiar," I said. Then I looked over at Tomoyo. "A girl named Furukawa helped us out at school when those delinquents showed up….what?"

She was looking at me with an expression of disbelief. "You remember that?"

"Well sure, I…hey, you're right! I remember!" This was exciting! "I wasn't even thinking about it; it just kinda came to me."

"How exiting, Tomoya-kun!" Kotomi squealed.

"Good for you!" Pastor Ashton said, patting me on the back. "Little by little, it's coming back to you."

"Yeah," I said, feeling light-headed. "That's…pretty cool. Anyway, what were we talking about?"

"Furukawa?" Tomoyo offered worriedly.

"Oh, right! Anyway, I'm familiar with the name, but I've never heard of the bakery," I said, smiling as I heard Tomoyo breathe a sigh of relief.

"That's all right. When you feel up to it, I'll come visit you at home and tell you where it is then…that is, if it's okay for me to visit?" he asked with an uncertain look.

"I don't mind," I replied. "Not like I have anything else to do with my time."

"Tomoya-kun…?"

"What?" I asked at Kotomi's distressed look.

"Tomoya…" I heard Tomoyo breathe, and I looked over to see her looking down at her lap, with her hands fisted.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I think you might have hit a nerve," Pastor Ashton suggested.

I looked back at my silver-haired friend with concern. "Did I say something wrong?"

She started to tremble. "N-No, it's just…"

I watched with a heavy heart as she tried to rein…something…in.

"…it's o-okay," she finally decided. "You'll remember eventually."

"O-Okay," I said. "I'm sorry if I hurt you…either of you."

"It's not your fault," my silver-haired friend replied, wiping at her face.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, we all got off at the same station.

"Let's get Okazaki-san home, and then I'll see you girls home. How does that sound?" the older man suggested.

"I…I would like to stay with Tomoya-kun for a while," Kotomi insisted, bringing a smile to my face. What a sweet girl.

"M-Me too," Tomoyo said, eyeing Kotomi with suspicion. "If he's forgotten anything about his home, I should be there to help him."

I blinked. "Why would you know anything about my home…my memories, right?"

"D-Do you have a problem with me being there?" Despite the aggressive words, she sounded uncertain.

"Not at all," I replied. "I was just…surprised, I guess."

"I'll stick around as well," Pastor Jeff said. "I wouldn't feel right about leaving two girls to fend for themselves. Besides…two girls and a boy? Alone? In my experience as a pastor, that's just asking for trouble."

"What do you mean?" Kotomi asked, though I knew what he meant and, from her red face, so did Tomoyo.

"That'd probably be a good idea," I said, feeling more than a little awkward.


	9. Homecoming

**Chapter Nine: Homecoming**

"Here you go," Tomoyo said as she set a steaming mug in front of me.

"Thanks."

Three more mugs later, we all sat around the kotatsu. "So, any of this look familiar?" Tomoyo asked.

I looked around before nodding slowly. "Yeah. I'll admit I was worried I wouldn't recognize my own home, but…yeah, everything looks familiar."

"At least we don't have you worry about you getting lost on the way home, then?" Pastor Ashton quipped.

I couldn't help but chuckle at his friendly jab. "I wouldn't be so sure; maybe I won't remember where everything else is."

"Tomoya-kun! That is not funny!" Kotomi cried, startling all of us. "For you to forget so much is just…is just..."

"Calm down," Pastor Ashton said soothingly. "At least he's joking about it. I would be more worried were he uptight and anxious about it."

"Really?" she asked, angling her head.

"Sometimes you can't take life too seriously," he said as he leaned back on his hands. "It's troubling enough the way it is without fallen man adding even more problems."

"I think I know what you mean," Tomoyo said with a faraway look in her eyes.

"Fallen man?" Something about the words sounded odd to me.

"Sorry," he said, waving a hand. "The 'Pastor' part of 'Pastor Jeff' slipped out."

"Don't worry about it," I said. "But now I'm curious; what does that mean?"

"Fallen man?" he repeated. "It just refers to our current state; our long-ago ancestors allowed evil into creation – including us – and now all of us have to deal with the consequences."

"I see," I said, not really understanding.

"It's harder to see now, since we give it so many names to try to justify it…but now's not the time for that sermon." He sat up to reclaim his mug and lift it up. "To Okazaki-san's escape from the hospital."

"Here here," Tomoyo said, smiling as she lifted her mug along with me.

"I do not understand," Kotomi said as she hesitantly raised her mug as well. "I thought they let him out willingly."

"He's joking; Just play along," I told her, hoping that she'd understand.

She blinked, nodded, and 'clinked' her mug with ours. Whether she actually understood or not I'd probably never know.

"So," Pastor Ashton said as he leaned back on his hands again and looked at me. "What's your next step?"

"I'm not sure," I replied honestly. "Once my legs are strong enough again, I'm going to get back to the recycle shop to see if I still have a job."

"You do," Tomoyo interjected. "I talked with your boss and told him what happened."

"Thanks. I had a feeling you did," I said with a smile. "My doctor told me that someone was handing it, and I thought of you."

She blushed before looking down at her mug. "Thanks."

"You know, I hadn't thought of this until now, but do any of you know what I was doing before the accident? Like, routines or anything like that?"

"Well, your job…" Tomoyo said, her face having returned to normal.

"I…"

I looked over at my other rescuer. "Kotomi-chan?"

She knotted her fingers repeatedly as she fidgeted in her seat. "I was…tutoring you…"

"Yes, yes, you were tutoring me…" I prompted, feeling a little impatient.

"Take it easy," Pastor Ashton said quietly. "She's having a really hard time with this."

Kotomi swallowed several time before continuing. "I was tutoring you to help you learn what you missed in high school."

I blinked. "Well, I guess I'm pretty lucky to have the 'Genius Girl' as my personal tutor."

"That is…not all…"

This time, I waited until she was ready.

"You and I…"

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Tomoyo flinch, and I glanced over to see her with a worried look.

"You and I…were…were…"

"Young lady," the pastor said in a mildly scolding tone. "Please finish your thought; you're starting to give us a potentially wrong impression."

Kotomi's pigtails nearly stood straight up as she clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh! I am sorry!"

"Try to calm down," he said in an incredibly gentle tone. "I can see that you're very shy and very nervous. Just take a deep breath and say what you want to say."

She nodded before closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths; for some reason, I briefly saw her in an incomplete wedding dress, as though she was trying it on.

Finally she opened her eyes. "T-Tomoya-kun; you and I are childhood friends."

"What?!" I blurted out, but Pastor Ashton stopped me from saying more with a raised hand and a slight shake of his head.

She started to tremble as she continued. "You came into my parents' back yard approximately ten years ago, looking for a lost ball. I was practicing my violin, and you surprised me."

My eyes widened in shock as memories long forgotten suddenly washed over me like a wave. "Oh my god…you had a backyard surrounded with bushes…"

Her eyes widened "Y-Yes…"

"And a white table and chairs where your parents would sit and talk or watch us…"

"Yes…" she breathed, her hands flying to her mouth again.

"And when I couldn't get enough friends for your birthday party, I was too ashamed to show up." I said, looking down at the top of the kotatsu. "I guess I got so caught up in life after that…that I forgot." I refocused on my abandoned childhood friend, and the pain in my heart was almost unbearable. "I'm so sorry, Kotomi-chan; I shouldn't have bailed on you like that. It was my damned pride."

"T-Tomoya-kun… That is exactly what you said the last time I told you about us."

"At least he's consistent," Pastor Ashton suggested, and I thought I heard a little humor in his tone.

"I'm sorry you've had to remind me…twice, I guess," I said with a heavy heart. "Can you forgive me?"

She smiled through her tears. "I forgave you for forgetting the first time. This time is not your fault."

Something about the look on her face drove me to my unsteady feet, and I stumbled over to her side and plopped down to wrap my arms around my dear friend.

"T-Tomoya?" Tomoyo's worried voice came from across the kotatsu. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"I'm hugging my old friend," I replied as Kotomi rested her hands on my shoulders and leaned against me. "Is that wrong?"

"W-Well no, but…" Tomoyo looked upset about something, but I had no idea what.

"Is everything okay?" I heard the pastor ask.

"It's just that….that…"

I tuned out their conversation, figuring that if Tomoyo wanted me to know something, she'd tell me. For the time being, I would just enjoy being reunited with my old friend. Kotomi didn't seem to mind, and I smiled as she sighed and snuggled into my chest.

* * *

"Thanks for your help," I said again as the others got their shoes on. "I definitely wouldn't have made it home without you."

"You are very welcome, Tomoya-kun," Kotomi said with a shy smile. "Would you like to have another lesson this Saturday?"

"Like to? I'd love to," I said, feeling happier than I'd felt in a long time. "I don't think I could make it to the library, though. Could we meet someplace nearby?"

"There's a café not too far from here," Pastor Jeff said as he struggled with one of his shoes. "Would that work?"

"The one near the station, right?" I replied, then turned to Kotomi. "Would that be okay?"

"That would be perfect," she said, and I could swear her eyes were sparkling.

"Could…Could I come?" came a hesitant voice, and I looked to see Tomoyo watching me with what appeared to be a pained expression.

"Sure," I said, shrugging, "but I don't know how exciting it'll be."

"I don't care," she insisted. "I just…want to…"

"It's fine," I said. "You have school in the morning, right? We'll plan on meeting after that."

Pastor Jeff looked at the three of us before smiling kindly. "I'll wait outside, girls," he said as he headed out the door.

We watched as the door closed, then Tomoyo turned back to me. "So…see you tomorrow morning?"

"What for?" I asked. "I don't have school."

The pain in her eyes intensified, and I wished that she would tell me the cause of it. "I…make breakfast for you."

"You don't have to do that," I said. "I can make my own, and you have Student Council stuff, don't you?"

"You don't understand," she insisted. "I made breakfast for you every morning before your…accident."

That made sense. "Okay, I get it. Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow, then. You have a key, right?"

She nodded. "That's how I was able to keep your place so clean."

I blinked. "You've been cleaning my place, too? Thanks!"

"Y-You're welcome." She gazed at me, and I felt myself almost fall into her eyes…weird. "Well…see you tomorrow." With that, she joined Pastor Jeff outside my home.

Which left Kotomi, who smiled at me with those sparkles still in her eyes. "I will see you on Saturday, Tomoya-kun?"

"Sure," I replied. "I'll try to find out when Tomoyo's available on Saturday. I…don't think she's up to answering that right now," I said as I looked at the front door with a heavy heart.

"Okay," she said, then quickly stepped forward to wrap me in a hug. "Good night, Tomoya-kun."

"Good night," I said as I returned her hug. She really liked saying my name, didn't she?

I started to pull away from her, but she stopped me by the shoulders, and my eyes widened as I felt a gentle pressure on my cheek, and when she pulled away I saw that she was blushing and smiling while biting her lower lip. "G-Good night, Tomoya-kun," she repeated.

"Good night," I replied.

After she left to join the other two, I closed the door in a daze as I reached up to touch my cheek.


	10. Lessons

**Chapter Ten: Lessons**

Just to be on the safe side I gave it a couple of days before asking Tomoyo about her availability.

"So, when will you be free on Saturday?" I asked as I watched her make breakfast.

The hand she was using to stir slowed. "I…should be free by one-o-clock."

"So should we try to meet with her at about two? Would that be enough time?"

"Tomoya…" she said in that pained voice again.

"What's going on?" I asked, starting to get a little annoyed. "You seem upset or something; did I piss you off?"

"No, it's not that…"

I struggled to my feet, cursing my still-weakened legs, and made my way over to her. "Look, whatever it is, I'd like to help if I can."

Her stirring slowed again, then she lowered the heat and put the spoon on the counter before turning to face me with haunted eyes. "I…I know you would." She reached out and laid a shaky hand against my cheek. "T-Tomoya, the truth is…I…we…"

Before I realized it I had put my hand on her face as well. "Hey, it's okay Tomoyo; I'm here for you."

"I-I know you are," she said, her eyes starting to tear up. "That's why we…"

"'That's why we' what?" I pressed. "Why is it so hard to say? Are we childhood friends, too? That'd be pretty cool!"

"No, it's not that. I just…don't want to influence you unfairly…"

I ducked my head down to get a better look at her downturned face. "What do you mean, 'influence me'?"

She pulled away from me and turned back to the stove. "I-I need to finish making breakfast."

I sighed heavily as I headed back to the kotatsu. Would she ever tell me what was bothering her?

* * *

"Ah! Tomoya-kun! Tomoyo-chan! Good afternoon!" Kotomi greeted as she rose from her seat at the café. She looked really pretty in her white dress and white hat.

"Good afternoon," I returned as I shuffled up to her. My legs were getting stronger little by little, but I still had a ways to go. "Thanks for being willing to come all the way out here."

"It is not a problem," she said as Tomoyo quietly took a seat. "I would have been willing to meet you at your house, but…" she glanced over at my silver-haired friend. "…I now understand that that might not look wholesome."

"Cool." I pulled out a chair and fell into it. "So, what are we filling my head with today?"

"?" At least it wasn't as bad as three.

"What are you going to teach me today?" I amended.

"Oh!" She chirped. "I think I understand! When you say 'filling my head' you are referring to learning, are you not?"

Tomoyo and I exchanged a stunned glance. "That…That's right," I managed to say. "Good job, Kotomi-chan!"

"Th-Thank you," she replied, looking up at me from under her eyelashes. "I have been working on my understanding of metaphors and similes, as well as hyperbole."

"I…don't get all that," I admitted, "but if it helped you understand what I was trying to say, then it looks like your work has paid off."

"I am happy to hear that…Tomoya," she said before blushing fiercely.

"Whoa, you okay?" I asked. "Your face is all r-" I cut myself off as it hit me: She called me 'Tomoya' without any honorifics. "N-Never mind," I said, feeling my own face heat up.

"What's going on?" Tomoyo asked, finally joining the conversation. "Why are you both all red?"

Without looking, I jerked a thumb toward my childhood friend. "Sh-She has always used honorifics, so stopping the way she did is just…." I shuddered.

"I-I am sorry, Tomoya," I heard Kotomi reply. "I-I f-feel so close to you now, that…"

"Could we just get on with the lesson?" Tomoyo griped. "What are you gonna be teaching Tomoya?"

"Teaching! Yes!" Kotomi squeaked. "I-I was thinking that we c-could work on your Japanese."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "Sounds good," I managed to say in an even tone.

* * *

"So remember; you are expressing concepts, not just words. Remembering this will help you when it comes to learning other languages."

"I think it get it," I grunted. "But why does it matter? I'm not planning on leaving the country."

"Weren't you the one saying you wanted more power or something like that?" Tomoyo interjected.

I blinked; I didn't remember saying anything like that and said as much.

"Oh, right; that was before….yeah," she said in a subdued tone.

"But now that you mention it, I could hear myself saying something like that," I admitted. "Sleeping away my time in school was probably one of the stupidest things I could've done."

"Learning another language at the conversational level will give you more options for your future than you would have otherwise," Kotomi pointed out.

I sighed heavily. "Fine. So, what were you saying? Concepts?"

"Different languages express concepts with not only different words, but different phrasing as well," she said while nodding. "So if you think of it as communicating a concept rather than trying to translate it word-for-word, you will have an easier time."

I mulled this over. "Okay, I think I got it. "Thanks, Kotomi."

"K-K-Ko…" I looked over in alarm to see Kotomi paling and sweating, and her eyes starting to roll back into her head.

I caught her before she could fall out of her seat; even as shapely as she was, she was really light. "K-Kotomi?! Hey, you okay?"

Her eyes fluttered open, and she focused on my face. "Y-You c-called me 'Kotomi'…"

"Yes, I did," I said, smiling down at her wide-eyed expression. "Is that okay? I thought you'd want me to."

She reached up and rested a hand on my cheek. "That is…perfect. Thank you, Tomoya."

The sound of a throat clearing drew our attention, and we both looked to see Tomoyo glaring at us. "If you're done there," she said through her teeth, "could we get back to the lesson?"

"S-Sure," I said. "Sorry." I helped Kotomi back into her seat, and I noticed that Tomoyo's hands were closed into fists; in fact, they were so tight that her knuckles had turned white. "Hey, Tomoyo; you okay?"

"Sure, I'm just fine," she ground out. "Watching my fiancé flirt with other girls is what I call a good time."

I could feel the blood drain from my face as Kotomi gasped. "Wha…"

Tomoyo slowly stood up, her eyes firmly fixed on the table. "Tomoya? I…I'm…your fiancée."

* * *

I kept my head between my knees, gulping huge lungfuls of air. "So that's…"

"I am so sorry, Tomoya," Kotomi said for the umpteenth time. "You told me about it, but I thought that-"

"You could steal him away while he's an amnesiac?" Tomoyo hissed; I'd never heard her talk like that before.

"Y-You were not even trying!" Kotomi countered. "I thought you had given up on him!"

"Is this what you were talking about when you said you didn't want to influence me?" I asked my…fiancée?

She nodded with a look of regret, though some of her glare remained. "I'm sorry, Tomoya. I guess I was hoping that your memory would come back and you'd remember me and everything would be okay. I guess I hadn't considered other girls making a move on you," she finished, glaring at Kotomi, who shrunk under her gaze.

…but only for a moment. "It should not have surprised you that others would find him attractive; he is a wonderful man with a good heart. He may not be very knowledgeable right now, but I know that he is smart and can learn anything he puts his mind to!"

"K-Kotomi…?" I felt a little overwhelmed by her faith in me, but I was also a little concerned about her sudden hostility.

"Maybe you do not deserve someone like him if you really think of him that way," Kotomi sniffed.

I sat back up to see Tomoyo with her mouth agape; apparently, no one had ever told her off like that before. "I…I don't think badly of him."

"Really?" Wow, Genius Girl was on fire. I'd never seen her so angry. "During our lessons I have heard you insult his intelligence, his morals, and his overall competence." She grabbed my arm. "I would never treat him in such a manner."

"You don't know him that well," Tomoyo countered, grabbing my other arm.

"That is true," Kotomi conceded, "I do not know all of the details of who he is, but…" she released my arm to stand and put her nose right to Tomoyo's. "…as his childhood friend, I know the kind of person he is, but it sounds as though you do not."

"K-Kotomi…" I warned as I saw Tomoyo's fingers flexing. "You're playing with fire right now."

"I am sorry, Tomoya," she said, settling back into her seat. "I have not liked the ways that she has spoken to or about you."

"I get that," I said, still feeling a little overwhelmed. "Thanks."

"Let us return to our lesson," my tutor said with another sniff. "But consider yourself warned, Tomoyo-chan; if I find out that you have mistreated him again, I will do everything in my power to protect him from you."

Tomoyo snorted at the threat, but was otherwise silent for the rest of the lesson.


	11. After Action Review

**Chapter Eleven: After Action Review**

Pastor Jeff stared at me with wide eyes as I told him what had happened. Something about his look of disbelief against the more relaxed background of the local park looked funny to me.

"…and then Kotomi told her that she would protect me from her if she kept insulting me."

The pastor blinked several times, his mouth still hanging open before leaning back against the bench. "That's…I'm not sure what to make of that," he admitted. "But that could just be because I don't know either of the girls very well."

"I feel like I don't know either of them very well, either," I said, then chuckled along with him. "I wish my memories would hurry up and come back."

"Well, if Tomoyo-san's right, then maybe going on a date with her would help with restoring your memory," he suggested.

I mulled this over for a minute. "I guess it couldn't hurt. I'd just be worried about hurting Kotomi at this point."

"A reasonable concern," he acknowledged. "But if she really is a good friend who wants the best for you, she'll support you in this. I'm not saying that it would be easy for her, but…" he trailed off as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno, pastor," I said, matching his shrug. "She's stopped calling me 'Tomoya-kun' and started calling me just 'Tomoya', which is a big thing for her. She even told me to call her 'Kotomi', without the '-chan', and that was kind of her thing."

"I think I understand. So, do you think she's serious about the two of you?"

"Well, she's-"

"Tomoya!"

The voice didn't sound like Tomoyo's, but I was still surprised to look over to see. "Oh, hey Kyou."

She stopped short, nearly causing her sister to crash into her. "You...You remember me?"

"You'd be one of the harder ones to forget but, yeah, I remember you."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" she huffed, putting her fists on her hips.

"It means you have that kind of personality," Pastor Jeff quipped, to my surprise.

She blinked, and I snorted as I realized that she hadn't noticed the pastor until then. "Oh. Hi. Who's your friend?"

"I'm sorry, where are my manners?" Pastor Jeff hopped up from his seat to extend his hand. "Pastor Jeff Ashton; call me whatever you want, as long as it's not a profanity."

"H-Hi," she replied as he gently held her fingers. "I-I'm Kyou. Fujibayashi Kyou."

"Nice to meet you," he said with a kind smile. "Is this okay? This was how I was taught to shake a lady's hand, but I'm not sure how you do things in Japan."

"We usually bow," I smirked, still seated on the bench.

"Oh, right! I'm sorry, I forgot." He tried to pull his hand back, but Kyou held onto it as she stared at it.

"Your skin is really white," she breathed as she appeared to study the back of his hand.

"O-Onee-chan," Fujibayashi giggled.

"I'm…I'm from America," he explained. "But we have a bunch of colors over there, so maybe I should say I'm Caucasian? Anyway, may I have my hand back? I'd like to say 'hi' to her, too," he said, indicating the short-haired girl behind her with his head.

"Oh! Sure…" Kyou said, finally releasing him.

"It's nice to meet you," Fujibayashi said as he took her hand. "Y-You have a really gentle touch for having such rough hands."

"Thanks, I think," Pastor Jeff replied with an amused look. "Anyway ladies, I don't mean to be rude but Tomoya and I were talking about something personal, so-"

"In a public park?" Kyou asked, sounding skeptical.

"I'm still not up to the walk to his church, and I've been cooped up in my apartment long enough," I said. "Besides, I didn't expect to see anyone I know anyway." I looked over at Pastor Jeff. "We can be done for now, anyway; I've said all I'm going to say for now."

"Sounds good; we can come back to it later, if you want," he said before addressing the girls. "So, what has you out and about today?"

"We were heading out to do some window-shopping," Kyou said. "Ryou has the day off, so I'm taking a break from my studies to go with her."

"How nice!" Pastor Jeff exclaimed. "You have the day off, huh? What do you do?"

"I'm a nurse at the hospital in the next town," Ryou replied shyly.

"I thought you looked familiar," he remarked. "I do chaplain visits where you work; next time I see you, I'll make sure to say 'hi'!"

"I-I look forward to it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"And did you say you're studying?" he asked, turning his attention to Kyou. "What are you studying for?"

"I want to be a kindergarten teacher, and don't you dare laugh, Tomoya!"

"What?" I fake-snorted. "I'm not going to laugh. I think it's cool that you want to teach."

"I think so, too," the pastor said. "Investing in the future of one's country is very important. I salute you," he finished, matching his actions to his words.

"Th-Thanks," she giggled, clearly not expecting the praise. "Hey, if…if you guys are done, you want to come with us?"

"Onee-chan…?"

Kyou grabbed her sister and whispered something in her ear, but could just barely make out 'your chance' somewhere in her whisperings.

Fujibayashi seemed more…confident?...after Kyou released her. "W-We would be honored if you would come with us,"

"Honored?" Pastor Jeff shook his head. "I don't think anyone's ever referred to my presence as an 'honor' before." He reached over and thumped me on the back. "You go on ahead, Tomoya-san; I'm a little old for all of you, and I'd probably end up spoiling your fun. I'll head back to the church, and we'll see each other again later, okay?"

"O-Old?" Fujibayashi looked puzzled. "How old are you, Ashton-sensei?" she asked, then slapped her hands over her face. "I'm sorry! That's none of my business!"

"It's fine," he replied. "If it helps put your mind at ease…I'm thirty-two." He lifted a hand in greeting. "Well, nice to meet you ladies. Tomoya-san, see you later." With that, he turned to leave.

"W-Wait!"

He stopped and turned back at Kyou's exclamation. "Yes? Was there something else?"

The older twin looked uncomfortable to me, but… "I'd…We'd…still like you to come along."

He smiled kindly at her. "Thank you Miss Kyou, but I don't know what kids your age enjoy and, honestly, I don't know that I'd even be able to enjoy it myself even if I did know."

"We're going window shopping, like I said before," Kyou said, her voice sounding strained. "You never did that back in America?"

I looked back to see Pastor Jeff's response, only to be alarmed by the look on his face. "I…used to…" he said with a strained smile, and it was clear that he was struggling with…something.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked, putting a hand on his back.

"I will be," he grunted, nodding weakly before running his fingers through his hair a couple of times. "Sorry about that."

I exchanged worried looks with the twins. "Listen, I'm gonna help him get home. Sorry."

"It's okay, Tomoya-san; I'll be fine to head home by myself," he protested. "I'm a big boy, now."

"Maybe so, but that's not how we do things here," I countered as I carefully took him by the elbow. "Come on, let's get you home…or back to the church…or wherever."

He managed to chuckle in spite of his pained expression. "Okay, we'll do it your way. Thank you, Tomoya-san."

"We'll help, too."

I glanced over to see the twins moving toward us. "It's fine," I told them. "I've got this; you two go have a good time."

"W-We can't have a good time knowing that someone is hurting," Fujibayashi said. "As a nurse-in-training, I c-can't just leave someone who's suffering."

"And if she's going, I'm going," Kyou declared. "I don't like it when people are hurting, either."

"Girls, you really don't need to trouble yourselves," Pastor Jeff protested again. "I'll be fine; it just surprised me, that's all."

"Then we'll get you home with plenty of time to window-shop later," Kyou retorted. "Now hush and let's go."

He looked to me, and I just gave a smile of resignation. "Give it up, boss; when she makes up her mind, nothing can change it."

He hung his head with a defeated smile of his own. "Thanks, everyone."

* * *

"Wow…" Fujibayashi breathed as the church came into view. "What a beautiful building."

"I'm glad you like it," Pastor Jeff said, having regained his composure. "I don't remember when it was built, but it has served my flock well for the last couple of years."

"How long have you been a…pastor?" Kyou asked. "Was that the word?"

"Yes, 'pastor' is the right word." He scratched his cheek. "Let's see…I was ordained back in '98, so…about five years?"

"Do you enjoy your work?" Fujibayashi asked.

"I do!" he said, coming to life again. "Being able to tend to the spiritual needs of others, being a mouthpiece for the Lord…yeah, this is a dream-come-true for me. Of course, I'll admit that I didn't know this was my dream until I was about twenty-years old."

"What happened when you were twenty?" I asked, finding myself curious.

"I'd be willing to tell the story," he said as he unlocked the church doors, "but I don't know how long it would take me to tell it."

After a bit of a struggle with the doors, he got them open and the three of us followed him in.


	12. Counseling Pastor

**Chapter Twelve: Counseling Pastor**

"Well…" he started as he settled behind his desk. "…it actually goes back to high school. I was seeing this girl and she invited me to her church."

"Suckered in by a pretty face, huh?" I quipped.

"You might say that," he replied with a self-conscious smile.

"Shut it, Tomoya," Kyou scolded while her sister giggled. "Go on…"

"So, I got into the Bible, studying it to impress this girl, and…well, somewhere along the way, I got hooked."

"Hooked?" Ryou asked.

"Truth be told, I had no interest in religion; I thought it was just a bunch of stories people told themselves to make themselves feel better. In the end, like C. S. Lewis, I was dragged into the faith 'kicking and screaming, a reluctant convert'."

"Wow," Kyou breathed, and I noticed that her smile looked so… _feminine_? I didn't know it was possible.

"I know I'm nowhere near as smart as Professor Lewis was, but I couldn't fight the logic and the facts before me. In fact, I made the mistake of reading his book 'Mere Christianity', which sealed my fate, so to speak."

"What about the girl?" I asked.

"Rebecca? She eventually dumped me," he said simply, leaning back in his chair. "At the risk of sounding prideful, I started talking about stuff that was apparently way over her head; I guess she just wanted the 'safe' Christianity, which just focuses on good behavior and family as opposed to the Christianity that takes risks and explores philosophies and goes out into the world to 'make disciples of all nations'."

"What's wrong with family?" Kyou said, sounding a little defensive.

"Nothing," he replied, shrugging. "It's just that that's not what Christianity's about; it's about following God, loving Him and doing what He says in order to come in line with reality. He made reality, after all."

"So how do families fit in to that?"

"He told Adam and Eve to 'go forth and multiply'," he said. "The family is the logical and natural result of that multiplication. But what's happened is that – at least in Western Christianity – the family has become the center instead of God."

"Western Christianity?" I asked.

"Never mind," he said, waving his hands. "That's another long story that I'd love to tell, but I'm getting off-topic. Anyway…after getting dumped, I looked into seminaries, applied to one, attended, and earned my degrees. Not long after that I was ordained by my pastor and started preaching." His eyes appeared to lose focus. "It wasn't long after that that I started having disagreements with my denomination on certain doctrines, and…" He rubbed his nose. "Yeah."

"Are you okay?" Ryou asked with a concerned expression.

"That's…another long story," he replied, and I could have sworn I saw another flicker of pain cross his face, even if just for a moment. "Anyway, I've droned on long enough. It's not Sunday, after all," he quipped.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Ryou asked. "It can't be good for you to be shut up in here, alone like this."

A smile crossed his face as he sighed heavily. "Push, push, push…" he chuckled. "It really bothers you, doesn't it? All right; I'll come with you, but don't blame me if I spoil your fun."

I grinned as the girls raised their hands and promised to not blame him if he spoiled their fun.

* * *

"What about this, Ryou?" Kyou gushed as she held a blouse to herself. "Isn't it cute?"

"It's definitely your color," the younger twin replied. "But doesn't it show too much of your chest?"

"No way! At our age, you gotta flaunt it if you got it! Right, Tomoya?" she asked, looking over at me.

"I dunno," I replied. "I never really thought about it."

"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't have," she said, flipping her hair. "You were too busy being Mr. Brooding Delinquent…at least until Miss Perfect showed up."

"Miss Perfect? Who are you talking about?"

She gave me a look of disbelief. "Who am I talking about?"

"Onee-chan, he hasn't remembered everything yet," Ryou said.

Kyou then glared at me briefly. "That would be Miss Student Council president, Saka-something."

A wave of emotion poured over me as I felt memories trying to come back. "Saka…gami?"

"Yeah, that's the one," she sniffed. "Anyway…What do you think?" she asked, 'modeling' the blouse to Pastor Jeff.

"I agree with Tomoya-san," he said. "While I think I understand why you'd feel the way you do, showing that much of your body would take any boy's attention away from where you'd really want it."

"Where would I want it, then?"

"Well, your character, of course," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing.

She blinked; apparently, she'd never thought of that before. "But…I know I won't have this forever, so I want to enjoy it while I can."

"I don't see a problem with you enjoying it yourself," he emphasized, "but if you want a young man to notice you…" His eyes lost focus for a moment. "Would you want him to desire you for your physical beauty which, as you've already said, will…change? Or would you want him to desire you for who you are?"

Kyou's eyes took a turn at losing focus. "I…never thought of it that way." She held up the blouse. "It…does show a bit too much for out in public," she admitted. "I suppose I could save it for when it's just me and my boyfriend."

"Husband," Pastor Jeff said, then gave her a gentle smile. "But I'm willing to hold off on that battle for now."

"O-Okay," she said as she gazed at him. Then she put the blouse back on the rack. "Maybe I'll hold off on buying this until later."

"See? I'm sorry," he said with a soft chuckle. "This was what I was talking about; spoiling your fun."

"No, it's okay," Kyou said. "I hadn't thought of that before, but I could see how…it'd make me look."

"You're already a pretty-enough girl without having to dress like that," Pastor Jeff said. "Just be confident in who you are and be willing to grow as a person, okay?"

I heard a gasp, and found Ryou blushing with her hands over her mouth. "You…You really think Onee-chan's pretty?"

"Of course," he snorted. "Just because I'm thirty-two and have been married doesn't mean I've lost my appreciation for beauty, Miss Ryou."

The atmosphere suddenly grew very cold. "Y-You're married, sir?" she asked, her voice even thinner than usual.

I thought the American would pass out, as his normally pale skin became even paler; apparently he hadn't realized what he'd said. "I…I was, yes…"

I carefully took hold of his elbow for the second time that day. "Let's get you somewhere where you can sit down."

* * *

"Her name was Jessica," he said between sips of cold water. "I never thought I'd be talking about this here…but maybe it's a good thing."

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Ryou said comfortingly.

"No, now that the proverbial cat's out of the bag…" he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, as I said, her name was Jessica. She was a really pretty girl, with long, reddish-brown hair, green eyes…"

"How tall was she?" Ryou asked with a look of interest.

"I never did find out, but she came up to about here on me," he said while holding his hand level just below his shoulder. "She was probably about…five-five, then? I don't know what that would be in metric."

"How tall are you?" Kyou asked unexpectedly.

"Last time I was measured I was about six feet even, but the weight of my pastoral responsibilities may have taken an inch or two off," he replied with a lopsided smile, causing us to chuckle.

"What did you like about her?" Ryou asked carefully.

A smile grew across his face, and from the look in his eyes I could see him going back to a happier, simpler time. "Well, obviously I thought she was pretty, but…it's hard to qualify…" He settled into the bench. "The best way I could describe it is that she had a heart for other people."

"What does that mean?" Kyou asked.

He didn't miss a beat. "If she cared about you, you knew it…and she cared about everybody. In fact, I think she's the one who drew out the 'loving' side of me."

"She sounds like a wonderful girl," Ryou said with admiration.

"She was," he said with a tight voice.

"You must have really loved her," Kyou said heavily.

"Yeah…she was the best." He glanced around at us before speaking again. "If you have the time and can come to the church again, I'll show you a picture of her."

"How long were you two married?" I asked.

"About five years," he replied easily. "And most of that was spent in the hospital."

"The hospital?" the twins blurted in unison, echoing my thought. "Why?"

"Breast cancer."

Almost as one, they slumped back in their seats with looks of shock.

He eyes got a faraway look. "We had been married for a year-and-a-half when she was diagnosed. We fought it for over three years, but it had been caught too late; we prayed, did chemo, but…yeah."

"I'm so sorry," Ryou said, nearly in tears. "I can't imagine what it must have been like."

"Like having one's heart violently torn out of one's chest," he said with a tight smile. "I sincerely hope that none of you have to go through anything similar."

We managed to enjoy the rest of our time together, though the mood was somewhat…subdued.


	13. Back to Work!

**Chapter Thirteen: Back to Work!**

The familiar smell of oil and metal greeted my nostrils as I opened the door to the recycling shop. "Hello?" I greeted what appeared to be an empty room.

"Hey, Okazaki!" I smiled as the owner appeared from the back room, and I found myself relieved that I apparently hadn't lost my memories of this place. "It's been a while!"

"Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean to be away for so long, but…"

"We never know what life will throw at us," he said with an understanding smile.

"Yeah," I grunted, looking around the fortunately-familiar shop. "Well, I'm back…assuming I still have a job?"

"I'm not the type to kick a man when he's down," he said, clapping me on my good shoulder. "So, you back here to work today?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, nodding vigorously. "My legs have finally strengthened from all that time in the hospital, and I'm ready to get back to my routine, whatever it was."

"Still don't remember what happened, eh?" he asked as he made his way to his work counter.

"Not yet, but I'm hoping that something will jog my memory; a face, a place…anything would help."

"Well," he said, jerking his thumb over at a nearby table, "there's a vacuum cleaner that could use your special care, so get changed and start on it."

I smiled, relieved that at least part of my life would return to normal. "Yes, sir."

* * *

"Hey, Okazaki?" I looked to see the boss wiping his hands on a towel. "I've got some pickups to take care of. You think you can handle the shop for a while? I don't want to overdo you on your first day back, but these clients have been waiting."

"Thanks, boss." I sighed heavily. "I should be fine; I can't be second-guessing myself forever."

"True," he chuckled as he grabbed his coat and headed toward the door. "You seem to have remembered everything else just fine, so I think you'll be okay. See you later."

"Later," I said and, as the door closed, I turned back to my 'patient'. "So, Hoover-san…what else seems to be troubling you?"

My investigation was interrupted when I heard the bell to the front door ring. "Just a minute, please; I'll be right with you."

I didn't hear a response, which worried me a little, so I quickly picked up a towel to wipe my hands as I entered the 'showroom'. "Welcome! How may I help-"

"Tomoya!" Kotomi exclaimed with a bright smile; she looked awfully out-of-place in the dirty shop. With her white lab coat and red hair ornaments, she made me think of a beautiful flower in a pile of dung. "Congratulations on your recovery!"

"K-Kotomi?!" I took a halting step. I was already ashamed enough of my position, but for my tutor to be here… "Wh-What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see where you work," she explained as she examined a wall clock before turning to me. "And…I wanted to see you."

"Wait a minute," I said, holding up a hand. "How did you know I was here? I only started again this morning."

She said nothing but tapped the floor with her toe as she blushed lightly.

"Well, whatever," I decided. "So…why are you in your lab coat? Did you come from work or something?"

"I did!" she exclaimed, clapping for some reason. "The other team members suggested that I come here during my lunch to visit you, but…I do not have much time, now."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"I only have an hour for lunch, and it took me twenty minutes to get here," she lamented.

"Have you eaten?" I asked, heading toward my lunch box. "We could at least have a little something to eat together before you have to go."

"O-Okay," she said, sitting at the backroom table as I brought over my lunch and started to divide it up between us. "Th-Thank you."

"So, how's work going?" I asked as I handed her half of my sandwich.

"It is going well," she replied as she accepted it. "We have started construction on a machine that, if successful, will allow us to see other realities."

I remembered saying something about a machine like that while in one of my hazes, but decided not to mention it. "Well, that's good! Was this part of your parents' dream?"

"Not exactly; their studies had more to do with the theories and less with any potential practical applications."

My mind spun as I tried to translate what she was saying to 'idiot'. "So…If I understand you correctly, your parents did the 'thinking' stuff, and you're doing the 'doing' stuff?"

"That…would be a fair comparison," she acknowledged. "But without Mommy and Daddy's theories I would not have the data needed to construct this in the first place."

"No, I get that," I said, then smiled awkwardly. "Just wanted to make sure I understand; I'm not a genius like you, after all."

"I am…not that smart," she said, her voice so quiet I almost missed it.

"Kotomi?"

She looked up at me with the loneliest expression I thought I'd ever seen. "I…need to get back to the lab, Tomoya."

"Sure, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to keep you."

She kept her eyes fixed on me as she rose from her seat. "Y-You did not 'keep me'; I chose to be here."

The air felt heavy as I saw her to the door. "Well…thanks for stopping by, Kotomi. We still on for Saturday? I still have a lot to learn, right?"

"R-Right," she said as she stopped with her hand on the doorknob. Then she turned back to me. "Tomoya…?"

"Yeah?"

She suddenly stepped up to me and placed her hands on my chest. The next thing I knew-

 _Our lips touch…I don't know why, but it feels nostalgic…_

She slowly pulled away, and I felt a sudden loss as her lips separated from mine. "See you Saturday…Tomoya." With that, she turned and quickly left the shop.

I smiled as I touched my fingertips to my lips...until memories of other kisses started to invade…or was it 'return'? And those wonderful memories were not of kissing Kotomi… "Oh, my god…"

All of those kisses had been with Tomoyo.

* * *

The next day, I had another…unusual visitor.

"Good afternoon, sir."

Even though he was wearing sunglasses in my shop for whatever reason, I thought I recognized the guy; Hikarizaka High's uniform, the voice, the way he spoke… "You're the guy from the Student Council, aren't you? The one who talked to me about Tomoyo."

"You are correct," he sniffed, "though I am not on the Student Council this year."

"Oh," I said. "Sorry to hear that."

"Really?" he asked, and I thought I saw his eyebrows lower. "And here I believed that you would be happy for my loss."

I chuckled. "Maybe last year I would have, but I'm not that guy any more. Sorry for being such a jerk last year."

His head jerked back as though surprised. "N-No problem; I do believe I deserved every word."

"I think you're wrong about that, but I'm assuming that you didn't come out here to talk about that," I said, wiping my hands.

"You are correct," he said again. Then he removed his sunglasses and my jaw dropped at the sight of the swollen and darkened skin around his left eye. "I am here to speak with you about your girlfriend."

"Which one?" I snorted.

He blinked. "I do not understand."

"Never mind," I said with a humorless chuckle. "I'm assuming you mean Tomoyo?"

"Yes, sir. The reason I am here, showing you my injury, is because the Student Council president gave this to me yesterday."

"The hell…?" I couldn't believe it; Tomoyo hit someone other than Sunohara? "I…I don't know what to say. I know 'I'm sorry' wouldn't fix it." I gestured to him. "What do you want from me, then?"

"I would like you to work out whatever difficulties the two of you are going through," he said as he gently massaged the bruise. "She struck me after I asked her about the two of you, so I assume that the two of you are having…issues."

"You could say that," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "See…I was in some kind of accident a few weeks ago and ended up with amnesia. I guess what I mainly forgot about were my more recent…relationships."

"Like your relationship with Sakagami-san," he suggested.

"Yeah, like hers," I said, feeling more than a little shame.

He sighed heavily as he crossed his arms. "Well, that changes things; she may be upset because you've forgotten your time together."

"Hey," I said, getting an idea. "She hasn't told me anything about us because she doesn't want to be an unfair influence or something, so could you help me out? Could you…I don't know…encourage her to tell me what she knows?"

"I don't know…" he said, massaging his eye again, and I understood what he meant.

"Well, if you can't, that's fine," I said. "Just understand that all of this is her doing, as far as I know. I've tried asking her about it several times, but all she's told me is that we're engaged...or at least we got engaged before my accident."

His eyebrows jumped. "Indeed? Well, congratulations!"

"Thanks, I think," I muttered. "Listen, I've got to get back to work. Just…think about what I've said, and if you could help at all…"

"I'll see what I can do." He put his sunglasses back on and bowed. "Thank you for your time, sir. Have a pleasant day."

"Thanks, you too."

He stopped at the door and turned back to me. "Oh, and good luck with recovering the rest of your memories."

"Thanks."

As I went back to work on Hoover-san I thought about how I could get Tomoyo to talk to me about us.


	14. News Flash

**Chapter Fourteen: News Flash**

I drummed my fingers on the table as I waited at the café for my tutor. I'd had nothing to do that morning, so I ended up reading a little before heading out to arrive about an hour before we were supposed to meet.

I heard footsteps approaching, and I smiled and got to my feet as Kotomi, carrying a large shoulder bag, approached my table. "Hey, Kotomi."

"Good afternoon, Tomoya," she greeted with a blush as we sat. "I thought we could work on English today. Would that be okay?"

"If that's what you think is best, Professor," I said with a playful smile.

We did the usual; individual words and concepts first, then on to grammar, which gave me the most trouble. Finally, she quizzed me on several words and phrases, both spoken and written.

"And what about this?" she asked, pointing to a sentence that she had written by hand.

I gave it my best shot. "*I…*" I recognized the words, but had never used them in that order.

"Remember who the object of the sentence is," Kotomi warned.

"I got it!" I exclaimed, looking into her face with a smile. "*I love you!*"

She returned my smile, and I suddenly became very aware of how close our faces were. "*I love you as well, Tomoya*," she replied in what sounded like perfect English.

I could feel my heart pounding as her lips got closer…and closer…

"'Scuse me."

We jerked away from each other at the intrusion of the new voice, and we looked to see a kid, about high-school age, grinning at us – at me, in particular.

"C-Can we help you?" Kotomi asked.

His grin appeared to turn…mean? "Naw," he said, still looking at me, "it looks like you delivered our message to Sakagami, so I'm good."

"Message?" I asked. "What message?"

His grin faded to a look of confusion. "Well…the one…you know, when…"

"If it helps, Tomoya is suffering from partial amnesia due to unknown circumstances," Kotomi offered.

"No way…" He paled as he appeared to study my face. "You really don't…?"

"I'm still piecing my memories together, so your message might have been lost. Sorry," I said, trying to comfort the kid.

"N-No, it's…f-fine," he said, seeming uncertain.

"If you know anything about why he had lost his memory, we would be grateful for any information you might have," Kotomi said.

"I…I don't know anything," he stammered. From the way he was talking, he obviously knew something about it, but I kept my suspicions to myself.

"I am glad that Tomoya was able to help you," Kotomi said. "He is always thinking of others before himself; that is one of the many things I admire about him."

"Yeah…cool…" Now he appeared to be studying me with a look of…regret? "Hey, sorry for interrupting your time," he said, raising a hand. "Take it easy."

As he walked away I thought about his appearance; something about him seemed familiar…

"Tomoya?"

I grabbed at my head as images and feelings flashed through my mind: the kid's face, a group of kids, with pain exploding everywhere…

…I remembered.

* * *

"Tomoya, please calm down!" Kotomi exclaimed as I paced the apartment.

"I can't!" I growled as I punched a wall while passing it. "That kid and his buddies beat the shit out of me and took weeks from my life and memories of before that!"

"Punching a wall will not help," she pointed out.

"No," I said as I rubbed my sore knuckles, "but it helps me blow off steam."

"Then…" I couldn't watch her as I paced, but I could imagine her straightening in her seat by the kotatsu as she thought. "Perhaps…you should learn how to defend yourself? In case this boy and his friends try to hurt you again."

"Damn," I said, rubbing my hand across my face. "Yeah, it couldn't hurt." I snorted. "It certainly hurt that I couldn't defend myself. I'm decent in a fight, but…yeah."

"I could pay for martial arts lessons for you, if that would help."

"No, I need something more…practical," I grunted as I crossed my arms. "I think I know someone who fights really well, but I can't remember who it is…"

"Kyou-chan?"

"Well, she's good at throwing books, but…" I shook my head. "No, I think I remember everything about her. And I know it's not Fujibayashi for the same reason. Besides, she's too timid."

"And I am no good at unarmed combat," Kotomi said in a regretful tone.

"Your strength is elsewhere," I said, trying to comfort her. "I could be wrong…but…I'll bet it's Tomoyo; my memories are really fuzzy about her, so it would make sense. Do you mind if I call her?" I asked as I headed to the phone.

"C-Call her?" she squeaked.

"Well yeah, to see if I'm right. And to see if she'll help me if she can."

"O-Okay," she said, staring at the top of the kotatsu.

I found the scrap of paper with her number written on it and called.

After a brief conversation with her mother, Tomoyo got on the phone. _"Hello?"_

"Hey Tomoyo," I greeted. "It's Tomoya."

" _H-Hi. What do you want?"_

"Listen, I understand that this might sound weird but…do you know how to fight? Like, really well?"

A long pause. _"Yes, I do."_

"Okay, good…then I remember right. Would…Would you be willing to teach me?"

" _Why?"_ she asked, sounding suspicious.

"Well, I think I've figured out how I ended up with amnesia."

" _Really?"_ She sounded more interested this time. _"H-How?"_

"I got beat up by a bunch of kids from the local industrial high school. I don't know why they did it, but…" I trailed off as I remembered something the kid had said earlier. "Wait a minute; the kid said he wanted me to give you a message just before he and his friends kicked my ass. Did I ever give you a message?"

Another long silence.

"Tomoyo?"

" _Don't go anywhere. I'm coming over."_

* * *

"What is she doing here?" Tomoyo demanded the minute she saw Kotomi.

Her question caught me off-guard, as I was suddenly dealing with the memories of…kisses. "She helped me get home after I got…I got…"

"Overwhelmed by the sudden onrush of memories?" Kotomi suggested.

"Yeah, that's it," I said, snapping my fingers. "I was overwhelmed. Anyway, she helped me get home, and we've been brainstorming to figure out what to do, which led to me calling you."

My silver-haired friend blinked at my blue-haired friend with an otherwise neutral expression. "Then I guess I should be thanking you."

"You are quite welcome," Kotomi said coolly. "However, if you really wish to thank me, you can help Tomoya to the best of your ability."

Tomoyo looked at me, and…there was that lonely expression again, and I saw her at the bottom of a snowy hill, saying…something. "I-I would love to help you. When do you want to start?"

"A-As soon as possible," I managed to reply; I wanted to talk to her about my kissing memories of her, but that would have to wait until another time. "If this kid and his goons come after me again, I want to be ready…or, at least, more ready."

"You will be," she said. "Can I use your phone? I need to call my parents and let them know I won't be home until later."

As she talked with her folks, Kotomi and I cleared my living room as best we could. Since I didn't have much of a backyard, that would have to do.

"In the future, you can use the yard at my home," Kotomi suggested as I moved to the middle of the room. "It is farther from both schools, and…well, it has a yard."

"Fine," Tomoyo grunted. "Let's get started, then."

I took a deep breath as I shook out my limbs. "Listen, Tomoyo; thanks again for this."

Tomoyo stared at me with that lonely expression again. "I-I'm…glad to help." She took a deep breath, apparently to compose herself. "A-At least I'll feel better knowing that my mercenary days won't have been wasted."

I felt a small but sharp pain in my head, but I managed to smile. "I'm grateful for those mercenary days now." I felt like I'd had this conversation before, but whatever.

"Tomoya? Are you okay?" Kotomi asked with worry in her voice.

"I'm fine," I replied, rubbing at my temple. "Just…felt like one of those memories of something I didn't do." I shifted my gaze back to Tomoyo. "I guess I'm as ready as I can be."

Her cheeks reddened a bit as she visibly swallowed. "S-Since we don't have a lot of space to work with, let's start with your fighting stance. I'm not going to have you punch or kick yet; I-I just want to get an idea of your center of balance, where you see your strengths, that kind of thing."

I winced as the pain in my head flared, but soldiered through and set myself up. "Like this?"

We then spent the rest of our time figuring out my strengths and weaknesses. "So we know what to work on," she had said. The limits of my right shoulder would have to be considered but, in the end (and to Kotomi's delight), she figured that with the right training I could still be a human wrecking ball if the situation demanded it.


	15. Rescue Patrol

**Chapter Fifteen: Rescue Patrol**

The next few days were a bit of a blur; I'd work my shift and then go home, where Tomoyo would meet me and make dinner for me. "I used to make dinners for us before your…situation," she'd explained.

Toward the end of a particularly busy day the phone rang while I was closing up shop. "Hikarizaka Recycle Shop; this is Okazaki."

" _Tomoya-san?"_

"Hey, Pastor Jeff; It's been a while." The last time I had seen him was during our time with the twins. "What'cha need?"

" _Could…Could you come to the church after you get off work?"_ He sounded anxious for some reason.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, worried.

An awkward chuckle. _"Um, I think so? Just…it'll make more sense when you get here…I think."_

We signed off, and I quickly called my place on the off-chance that Kotomi was there, waiting for me.

Sure enough… _"H-Hello?"_

"Hi, Kotomi?"

" _Yes, this is Kotomi. Ah! Tomoya?"_

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, could you come to my work? Pastor Jeff asked me to stop by the church; he sounded nervous about something."

" _Pastor Jeff? Who is that?"_

That's right; she'd never officially met the pastor. "It's kinda hard to explain, but he visited me while I was in the hospital. He came with us when I went home from the hospital. He's like a priest, but…isn't."

" _I see."_ In my mind's eye, I could see her eyes losing focus as she thought. _"I can be there in about fifteen minutes. Will that be okay?"_

"Sure," I said. "And thanks."

" _You're very welcome, Tomoya. I…*I love you*"_ she finished in English.

"Th-Thanks," I replied, cringing as I recalled the memories that had returned because of our kiss.

* * *

She met up with me at the shop and we made our way over to Pastor Jeff's church.

"How long have you known him?" she asked as we walked.

"Well, like I said, he visited me while I was in the hospital, so…three weeks? A month?" I shrugged. "Time's been kinda weird for me since I got beat up."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I believe I understand; a loss of memories can have that effect on an individual."

"Maybe after Tomoyo tells me about my…relationship…with her, I'll be all set," I grunted.

"That would be…wonderful," she said, sounding a little strained.

"I think that's the place," I said as the church came into view. It looked very different than the temples I'd seen; it was tall, with a column-like structure that rose high above the rest of the building.

"Tomoya!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. "K-Kyou?!"

The older twin sat on a bench not too far from the church. "Here to see Pastor Jeff?"

"What are you doing all the way out here?" I asked. "Isn't this pretty far from your place?"

"Yup!" she chirped as she hopped up from her seat. "So…" She gave us a sly smile. "Are you here to see him?"

"Indeed we are," Kotomi answered.

Kyou studied my friend for a minute before… "Oh, I see; you've given up on Miss Perfect, eh? Trading up to Genius Girl, then?"

"Genius Girl?" Kotomi repeated.

"I'm not trading up for anything," I griped. "Pastor Jeff asked me to come to the church, and Kotomi came with me."

"Well, that works perfectly, then!" Kyou exclaimed, grabbing me by the hand. "Let's go!"

She dragged me up to the door before releasing me. I knocked on what appeared to be the main doors as I exchanged a worried look with Kotomi. Kyou seemed awfully excited about visiting the pastor; had something been going on? Not only that, she hadn't even bothered to introduce herself to the 'Genius Girl'.

A few moments later the door opened. "Welcome to Glory to God…oh hey, Tomoya-san! Thanks for…coming…" he trailed off as he saw that I wasn't alone. "Oh. Hello, Miss Kyou."

"Hi!" she chirped. "Nice to see you again!"

"A-And who is this?" he asked, studying my friend. "I'm sorry, where are my manners." He held out his hand. "I'm Pastor Jeff Ashton; call me whatever you want, as long as it's not a profanity."

"N-Nice to meet you," she returned as she let him grip her fingers. "So your name is Jeff Ashton and 'Pastor' is your title?"

"That's right," he said with a broad smile. "Call me whatever you want, as long as…oh wait, I said that already."

"It it okay if they come, too?" I asked. "Kotomi was waiting at my place, so I didn't want her waiting for me forever, and Kyou…" I realized that I didn't really know what Kyou's story was. "Kyou was hanging out outside for whatever reason."

"Hee hee…" the girl in question giggled.

Pastor Jeff sighed heavily. "Sure, it's fine; come on in," he said, opening the door for us.

* * *

Kyou hummed happily away as she sat on the couch in Pastor Jeff's office, reading one of her textbooks. Kotomi sat in the chair next to me, alternating her gaze between the purple-haired girl and the two of us.

"So…what did you need me for?" I asked.

He settled in behind his desk and, after glancing at Kyou, leveled his gaze at me. "Before we get to that…h-how's life treating you?"

"Better," I said with an awkward smile. "Thanks to Kotomi here, I'm getting caught up in what I missed from sleeping through high school, and – oh, yeah! I remembered something important." I rubbed my hands on my workpants, wiping off the sweat that had suddenly appeared. "I…remembered what happened to me."

"Really?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his arms on his desk. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure I understand everything yet, but I was beat up by a group of highschoolers from the local industrial high school." It was embarrassing to admit, but I knew Pastor Jeff wouldn't make fun of me.

"Did any of them tell you why they attacked you?" he asked as Kyou looked up with an expression of shock.

"Well, one of them said something about giving Tomoyo a message, but I don't know what he meant," I said, then grimaced. "I wish she'd tell me about us; I have a feeling it would fill in a lot of gaps."

"Maybe she doesn't want to have anything to do with you since you've forgotten her," Kyou suggested.

I shook my head. "I don't think so; the minute she found out what had happened, she came over and started teaching me how to fight."

She grunted but settled back into her seat.

"Well, at least we know that she wants you safe," Pastor Jeff said.

I briefly glanced over at Kotomi. "Hey pastor, could we talk outside for a minute? I need to talk about something kinda…personal."

He blinked and sat up straight in his chair. "Sure, that fine."

"You two haven't met, right?" I said to the girls. "Why don't you talk, get to know each other. You're both friends of mine, so you should get along okay."

"What do you expect us to talk about?" Kyou humphed.

"Well…" I studied them for a minute. "Hey Kotomi, Kyou here is studying to be a kindergarten teacher. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Really?" As expected, my genius friend's eyes lit up as she spun in her chair toward Kyou.

As the pastor and I left his office, I couldn't help but smile at the sound of an excited Kotomi asking the first of what I was sure would be a whole bunch of questions.

* * *

"So…what did you need to talk about?" he asked as soon as we stepped out of a side door to the church.

"I'll get to that in a minute," I said with a sly grin. "But first: Did you ask me to come here because of Kyou?"

He nodded with an awkward smile. "I don't know why, but ever since we went window-shopping with her and her sister, she's been coming to the church to work on her studies almost every day. At least, that what she said," he sighed. "What she's actually been doing is asking me question after question about me."

"So you think she's working on her studies, just not for her teaching job?" I suggested.

Another awkward nod. "Something like that. I'm not sure what to do, Tomoya-san; she's not interfering with my job, but she makes me…nervous."

"She isn't threatening you, is she?" I asked, suddenly concerned. "She used to do that to me in school a lot our last year."

"No, not at all! I think…" He looked off into the distance, and I figured he was working on how to say what he wanted to say. "I don't know; maybe I just don't understand Japanese girls well enough. I can't understand why she'd want to hang out at a church. I'm the only one here, and I certainly don't want any misunderstandings due to her coming here every day."

"A man and a teenaged girl alone…" I mused. "I could see that being a problem."

"She's a friend of yours, right? Could you talk to her?"

I had to quickly cover my mouth to keep the girls inside from hearing my laugh. "Are you serious? You're an adult, right? Can't you handle one girl?"

"I'm concerned about…" He sighed heavily. "The last girl who showed this much interest in me was Jessica."

"I don't understand. How is that a problem? I mean, if a girl was interested in me-"

"I'm a widower, Tomoya-san. I shouldn't be interested in dating and, frankly, she's too young for me. Or…I'm too old for her."

It was my turn to sigh heavily. "Well, if she is interested in you, then the age thing apparently doesn't bother her. All right, I'll talk to her and see what I can find out. I'm not going to be your spy, though."

"I wouldn't ask you to," he replied. "Just…see if you could get in interested in something – or someone else."

"That's a pretty tall order," I said, sighing again. "But…I'll see what I can do."

"I appreciate it," he said as he reached for the door. Then, he stopped himself. "Oh, right! You had something to talk about, didn't you?"

"It can wait," I said with what I hoped was a kind smile. "I'd better not keep Kotomi waiting."


	16. Gaining 'Likes'

**Chapter Sixteen: Gaining Likes**

"Tomoya! Welcome back!" Kotomi exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as we reentered the office. I was hardly surprised to see Kyou's eyes light up as well when she saw Pastor Jeff.

"Sorry we were gone so long," I said sheepishly as I reclaimed my seat.

"Mmmnnn-mmmnnn," she replied, shaking her head. "Were you able to talk about what you wanted to?"

"Yeah," I said, glancing at Pastor Jeff. "I know what I need to do now."

"That is wonderful," she cooed, then turned to the pastor. "Now that that is settled, I have something I wish to speak with you about, Ashton-sensei."

"Of course," he said, settling back into his seat. "What can I do for you?"

"Would you…? I would like…" She suddenly grabbed my arm. "I would like you to marry us!"

"K-Kotomi!" I sputtered.

"I am Tomoya's childhood friend. We met again in high school, and…and…" she ducked her head with a blush. "…I love him."

"Wow, Kotomi," Kyou breathed. "That's…That's bold!"

"I understand that it is unusual for me to act like this," she said, "but I feel so…so strongly about it that I cannot restrain it any longer." I could feel her start to tremble through her grip on me.

Pastor Jeff blinked as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, I can't doubt your feeling in the matter, can I?" He shifted his gaze to me. "What do you think, Tomoya-san? From the look on your face, I assume that this is the first time you're hearing this?"

"Yeah," I said, feeling a little light-headed. "I guess I had some idea, but…" I mulled it over; my old friend was a nice enough girl, but… "I'm not ready; I still don't feel 'whole' yet, and I don't think I will until I can talk to Tomoyo about our past together. She's keeping stuff from me because she doesn't want to 'influence' me, but…until she fills in my missing blanks I really won't want to move forward on anything."

"Makes sense to me," he said. "Miss Kotomi, you heard him; what do you think? Would you want to marry a man missing part of his life?"

My heart sank a little as she looked to the floor. "I would be okay since it would be Tomoya, but…I believe I understand." She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes….or were they fear-filled? "I… will help you convince Tomoyo-san to restore your memories."

* * *

"Bye, Pastor Jeff!" Kyou called behind us as the three of us headed away from the church.

"So, what's really going on?" I asked my old verbal sparring partner. "You seem awfully…attached…to the pastor."

"He's just…neat!" Kyou replied with a smile and a shrug. "He knows how he feels about stuff, and he's not afraid to tell you; I like that."

"Are you talking about when he told you what he thought of that shirt?" I asked.

"Yup!" she chirped. "I figured that he didn't work at any of the temples, so I did a little searching and found his church."

"And so you visited him daily to benefit from his presence?" Kotomi asked, surprising me.

"Y-You could say that," she replied with a sly smile before turning more serious. "I really do go there to work on my studies; the place is nice and quiet, and I really like being around him."

I opened my mouth to ask, but Kotomi beat me to it: "Do you like Ashton-sensei?" A little more blunt than what I was going to ask, but close enough.

"You don't beat around the bush, do you?" Kyou said, turning scarlet as she ducked her head; I'd never seen her look so…bashful...before. "Yeah, I think so. I wish he'd ask me out so I could get to know him better."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Kyou, are you serious about this? He's thirty-two, remember? He's almost twice your age! But, more than that, he's still hurting from the loss of his wife."

"I know," she sighed. "I know this is going to sound weird, but…I want to take away his pain. I mean, as a pastor he does so much for other people, but…who's there for him?"

My pace slowed; I'd never thought of that, so I admitted as much. "But what about his 'flock'?" I added. "They're there for him, don't you think?"

"Not really," she said. "He told me that he's trying to run the church more like the…the…the 'Acts church'? Yeah, that what he calls it. Everyone was there for each other and helped each other out."

"But that is not happening?" Kotomi asked.

Kyou shook her head, causing her long, purple hair to sway. "No, it's more like all of them treat him like he's their personal priest."

"That is a shame," Kotomi said sadly.

"It just seems like Jeff's all alone," Kyou said sadly.

I felt an eyebrow twitch at her usage of his first name, but said nothing.

"How sad," Kotomi said, surprising me with her show of sympathy. "I remember reading in the Old Testament that God said 'It is not good for Man to be alone'."

"You've read the Bible, Kotomi?" Kyou asked with wide eyes.

"Only the Old Testament," Kotomi replied with a nod. "I have heard that the New Testament contains many more wonderful stories."

I snorted as I thought how Pastor Jeff would react to hearing the bible described as a book of 'wonderful stories'. "Anyway, so you hang out with Pastor Jeff to work on your studies and learn more about him?"

"Yup!" she chirped again.

"Is he aware of your interest?" Kotomi asked.

I almost answered the question before realizing that the pastor might not appreciate me talking about our private conversation.

"I…I don't think so," Kyou replied.

"If you are interested in him but he is not aware of it, would it not make more sense for you to invite him to a rendezvous?" Kotomi suggested.

"M-Me?!" Kyou sputtered. "A-Are you seriously suggesting that I ask Jeff on a date?"

Kotomi said nothing, but nodded solemnly.

"He's not going to act just because you're interested," I added with an impish grin.

"Sh-Shut up."

"Tomoya has a point; whoever is more interested in the relationship is the one who should take the initiative," my childhood friend suggested.

"All right, all right!" Kyou yelled, grabbing her head. "Stop! I'll…ask him out."

The girls talked strategy the rest of the way to my place while I listened and started to feel sorry for what Pastor Jeff would likely end up going through…

* * *

"How exciting!" Kotomi gushed as she closed the door behind her; Kyou had headed home after parting with us in front of my place. "She is so brave, being willing to make herself vulnerable like that."

"I gotta hand it to her; she's got guts," I admitted. "I just hope she doesn't end up hurt."

"Oh, me too." Kotomi smiled softly at me, and I remembered that she and I were the only ones in the apartment as she slowly approached me, reaching out a hand. "You are so kind, Tomoya; you are always concerned about the welfare of others."

"Th-Thanks, Kotomi," I said, taking a step back. "Hey, we haven't had dinner yet!" I hurried to the kitchen, nearly tripping on the way. "I can make coffee for us while I think of something to make for dinner. I have a couple of different flavors," I said, pulling a few coffee packets out of the cupboard. "Which one would you want? I have-"

"I would like Tomoya-flavored coffee," she replied, her cheeks starting to redden.

"T-Tomoya flavored coff-OW!" I dropped the packets and grabbed at my head as a memory washed over me. I could see the girl from the reference room saying something to me, then approaching with a smile on her face…

"Tomoya!" I felt hands holding me, supporting me, and I looked up into Kotomi's panicked face. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," I grunted. "I think it was another memory of something I never did…but man, it was so real…"

"Please sit," she said, guiding me to the kotatsu. "I will see what you have and make dinner. Is that acceptable?"

I nodded, relieved that the overwhelming sensation was starting to go away. "Yeah, thanks. I don't really trust myself right now."

I felt a pressure on my cheek before Kotomi got to her feet and headed into the kitchen. As a delicious smell drifted through my home I thought back to when she shared her lunch with me for the first time, and I found myself looking forward to dinner.


	17. More Options

**Chapter Seventeen: More Options**

Tomoyo arrived at her usual time to make breakfast, only this time she had someone with her.

"Good morning, Nii-san!" Takafumi greeted from behind his sister. In his hands he carried a medium-sized box, which he handed to me before removing his shoes. It wasn't too heavy, but I could tell that there was something in it.

"Good morning," I replied, then caught Tomoyo's gaze as she headed toward the kitchen. "Good morning, Tomoyo."

"G-Good morning," she said with her usual intensity as she resumed her journey to my kitchen.

"Thanks for holding that," Takafumi said as he took the box back from me. "This isn't all of it; I'll come by with the rest of it later."

"Sure," I said, completely clueless as to what was going on. I watched as he took it to an empty corner of the living room and set it on the floor. He then opened the top and took out…a computer.

"I'll bring the monitor by later," he said. "I couldn't carry it all at once, and Nee-san doesn't feel safe carrying fragile stuff like this."

"I'm afraid I'd crush it," I heard her admit from the kitchen.

"So, is it okay if I set it up here?" he asked, indicating the corner.

"I…guess," I replied. "Why are you bringing a computer here?"

"Nee-san told me that you're trying to catch up on what you missed in school. You'll have to pay for internet access, but you'll be able to find all kinds of information once I've got you set up here."

"And you won't need to take up Ichinose-san's time anymore," Tomoyo added, still in the kitchen. "You can learn from the safety of your own home and not have to worry about getting beat up on the way to the library."

I also noticed that it meant that I wouldn't be alone with Kotomi. "Thanks, Takafumi," I said, trying to keep the knowing smile off of my face. "I don't understand all of this, but thanks for thinking of me."

"No problem!" he said as he put what I assumed was the last piece in place. "I'm sorry, but I gotta ask you to not touch this for now; I need to know where everything is, or setting this thing up could take a lot longer than it needs to."

"Got it," I said with a nod. "I'll be heading over to the library after breakfast, and to work after that, so I won't have a chance to mess it up."

"Great!" he said with a thumbs-up. "Well, I'd better get out; I don't want to mess with your time with Nee-san, after all."

"It's fine," I said. "We just eat breakfast and then she heads to school. You could stay a little longer if you want. I don't feel right about you just stopping here to drop off your…your 'gift'."

Part of me wasn't too surprised to see him glance awkwardly between me and the kitchen, where a nice smell had started to come from due to Tomoyo's cooking. "I-It's fine, really. Thanks." He quickly headed to the door and slid his shoes on. "I've already eaten, anyway. See you later!"

He left so quickly that I ended up waving at the back of his head. What a weird kid. Neat, but weird. "Hey, Tomoyo," I said, heading to the kitchen area, "need any help? Or should I wait for you at the table?"

"Go ahead and wait," she replied. "I'm almost done, anyway. Thanks for offering."

I plopped down next to the kotatsu and thought about how best to get Tomoyo to tell me about our past together.

A couple of minutes later, she came out with two steaming bowls sitting in cloths on her hands. "Don't try to take it from me," she warned. "You'll burn yourself."

"Got it," I said as I watched her set my breakfast before me. As usual, it looked delicious; rice, fish, and vegetables, all the essentials for a healthy meal. "Wow, this looks really good!" I said, not bothering to contain my enthusiasm.

She took her seat with a shy smile and we put our hands together. _"Itadakimasu."_

"So," I started as we picked up our chopsticks, "how's school going?" I didn't know why I was asking that, but I felt like I had to ask something just to get her to talk.

"As well as can be expected," she replied quietly.

"Did I ever congratulate you on winning your second term as Student Council President?"

"No," she replied quietly again. "Listen, could we just…not talk this time? I have a lot on my mind."

"Sure," I said. "Sorry."

She gave me an apologetic smile before we returned to an otherwise uneventful meal.

* * *

"Tomoya; Good morning!" Kotomi greeted as she stood next to the entrance to the library. "It has been too long!"

"It's been a week, Kotomi," I replied with a grin. "But good morning."

She started toward me, and I knew what was coming next, so I quickly turned my head so her lips pressed into my cheek.

She still pulled away with a blush, which I still thought was pretty cute. "I understand; you are not comfortable with…that…yet."

"Not yet," I said in an apologetic tone.

"That is all right," she said happily. "I believe I have found a book that will be of use to you."

"Cool," I said. "Where is it?"

She turned slightly to point behind her. "In the library."

I chuckled lightly; it was just like her to spend the morning in the library, stopping only to come out to meet me. "Okay, great! Lead the way!"

I smiled as the usual dusty, 'papery' smell invaded my nose as we entered the building. Kotomi led me to our usual table and asked me to wait as she left for another part of the library.

A few minutes later she came back with a larger-than-usual-sized book in her hands. "I would have checked it out for you, but I was not sure if you would find it useful."

"Well, let's take a look," I said as I accepted the book from her.

It turned out to be the book written by the well-known Chinese-American actor Bruce Lee; I knew about him, but never knew that he had written a book. "'The Tao of Jeet Kune Do', huh?"

"I thought that since Lee-sensei was so well-studied in combat as well as philosophy, you might find his insights useful," she suggested.

"Well, it couldn't hurt," I grunted as I flipped through the book, skimming its contents. "These diagrams…I think…"

"Do you think it would be useful?" My childhood friend was nearly on the edge of her seat.

"Yeah, I think it would," I mused, studying the diagrams. "I'd have to read more to be sure about the philosophy stuff, but his drawings…" I tapped an illustration showing his idea of the ideal basic combat stance, "…I think I could do something with these."

"Wonderful!" she cried, clapping, before quickly covering her mouth with both hands. "Oops," she muffled while looking around the library with a blush.

"Don't worry about it," I said, trying to pull her hands from her face. "You're not as loud as you think."

"I would not want to be a distraction," she nearly whispered as she uncovered her mouth. "That would be rude."

"Like I said; you're not as loud as you think you are, so you're fine."

Eventually the book was put to the side so I could focus on the reason for me being there, and Kotomi drilled me on math, history, and Japanese. All in all, I felt like we had a productive time.

* * *

After a relatively short day at work, Kotomi met me at the front door, and by the time we got back to my place it was starting to get dark.

"Why don't you come in for a bit and have some tea, then I'll walk you home," I offered.

"I…I would like to, but…I really should go now," she said. "I would not want to risk putting you in harm's way."

I thought about it; it made sense, since I was attacked while alone, but Kotomi would probably be okay by herself. "All right, fine," I grunted as the door unlocked. "Let me get my key out of here and…I'll…"

I trailed off as I saw Tomoyo and Takafumi in my living room. He was in the corner setting up the computer while, based on the smell, Tomoyo was in the kitchen making dinner.

I grinned as I looked over my shoulder. "Maybe you could stay for dinner?"


	18. Coming to a Head

**Chapter Eighteen: Coming to a Head**

"Let us put our hands together."

We did as we were told.

" _Itadakimasu."_

I ended up listening intently as Tomoyo's kid brother tried to explain to me what he had set up and how to use it.

Eventually, though, I had to give up. "I'm not following any of this. I've never used a computer before, so none of this makes sense to me."

"It is okay, Tomoya," Kotomi said comfortingly as she laid a hand on my arm. "I can help you with it if needed."

"I'll help him with it," Takafumi said. "I know how it's set up and what's installed on there, so I'll take care of it."

"Besides, you have your career at the lab, don't you?" I added. "I don't want to mess up your schedule more than I already have."

"And my kid brother set this up so Tomoya won't have to bother you anymore," Tomoyo said quietly. "He can learn from home without bothering you or putting himself in danger of getting beat up again."

"Bothering me?" Kotomi turned to me with wide eyes. "Tomoya, you are not bothering me at all! I am happy to teach you; I wish I had more time to spend with you!"

I heard a clatter from the other side of the kotatsu, and quickly looked to see Tomoyo choking, with her brother carefully patting her back. "Tomoyo?! You okay?" I asked.

She nodded and started coughing more normally as she reached for her tea. For his part, Takafumi continued to hover around his sister; what a good kid. "Nee-san? Are you all right?"

"I'm better now," she croaked. "I just…swallowed wrong." She took another sip of her tea. "I'm fine now."

With that disaster averted we settled back to eating. I saw Takafumi glancing back and forth between Kotomi and his sister before finally settling his gaze on me. "Hey, after dinner I can show you how to use your computer," he offered. "It's not hard, so it shouldn't take long."

"Tomoya has training tonight," Tomoyo said, her voice still a little raspy.

"Oh, right!" I exclaimed. "Hey Kotomi, could you get that book that we borrowed from the library? I'd like Tomoyo to take a look at it."

"Of course!" she chirped, and quickly found the book. "Here you go."

"Thanks," I said, taking it from her to give to my trainer. "Do you think this could help?"

"Of course," she snorted, handing it back. "I have a copy of it at home. We just haven't gotten far enough into your training to start using his techniques."

"Oh," I said, my heart sinking a little.

"You could still use it," Kotomi said, obviously trying to encourage me. "You could read it on your own to learn Lee-sensei's philosophies. You're so smart, Tomoya, that I believe you could learn it!" she finished, clapping.

"Thanks, Kotomi," I replied, feeling my face heat up.

"Ah-hah! Nii-san's blushing!" The younger Sakagami teased.

"Just don't try that stuff without me around," Tomoyo ordered. "I don't want you hurting yourself."

"Tomoya is very capable!" Kotomi protested and I could see the fire relighting. "Y-You a-are just afraid!"

"K-Kotomi?" I gasped.

"I'm afraid?" Tomoyo echoed with a smirk. "And what am I supposed to be afraid of?"

"That Tomoya might learn so well from Lee-sensei's book that he will no longer need to b-bother you, either," Kotomi sniffed.

My eyes widened a moment after Tomoyo's did; Kotomi had apparently hit a nerve.

To her credit, Tomoyo didn't give up, though: "Maybe, but he still needs me to make meals for him."

"Tomoya is fully capable of preparing his own meals," Kotomi sniffed again. "I can also prepare them, if necessary."

"All right, that's enough," I said, holding out a hand toward each combatant. "Please stop fighting."

"Oh!" Kotomi chirped. "I am sorry for fighting in your home, Tomoya!"

"Me too," Tomoyo said, then looked to my childhood friend. "Look, I'm willing to call a truce if you are."

Kotomi appeared to think for a moment before nodding once.

I breathed a sigh of relief as we returned to our meal.

* * *

Tomoyo and I had a shorter practice than usual, most likely because of the incident at the meal table.

"Come on Ichinose, I'll walk you home," Tomoyo offered as she headed for the front door.

My childhood friend gave me a nervous look, so I spoke up. "You're not going to hurt her, are you?"

Tomoyo gave me a look of disbelief. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Yes," I said, crossing my arms. "You've treated me well, but you've been almost hostile toward Kotomi."

"Well, that's because-" she started to say, then deflated. "She's a friend of yours, Tomoya; of course I won't hurt her. I don't want you to hate me, after all."

I suppressed a chuckle before looking over at a worried Kotomi with a smile. "There you go; she said she won't, so she won't."

"But I-" She studied Tomoyo with what I recognized as a scared look, but then her expression turned to one of determination. "I understand. I am sorry for doubting you, Sakagami-san."

"N-No problem," my silver-haired friend replied, apparently surprised by Kotomi's about-face. "Ready to go, then?"

"Yes," Kotomi said, almost with a look of defiance, and she moved to Tomoyo's side and took her arm. "I look forward to our conversation on the way to my home."

"Uh, sure," she replied as she looked from me to her arm encircled by Kotomi's. "Me too, I guess."

We boys watched as the girls left, me with a confused look and Takafumi with an amused expression.

"Well!" he said, turning to me as the front door closed. "Ready to learn how to use your computer?"

* * *

"…so, if you think of this as organized like a real-world desk might be, it starts to make more sense."

"I think I get it," I said, nodding thoughtfully. "Files are put into folders, which can be put into other folders."

"Yeah, and it can get a little crazy after that," Takafumi added. "Since we're not using real, physical folders, you can have a folder in a folder, in another folder-"

"I get the idea," I said, raising a hand. "And I have programs on here for writing and spreadsheets and stuff?"

"Yup!" he said, smiling broadly. "And, like I said, when you get your internet hooked up, you'll be able to look at stuff that other people have set up to share with the world. Almost anything you'd want to learn about, at your fingertips."

"That does sound pretty cool," I admitted. "I don't get it right now, but I guess I don't have to."

"There's a…learning curve," he admitted, "but you'll figure out what you need to know and what you don't. Of course, I'm here to help you with that if you need me."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," I said, ruffling his hair.

"Hey!" he protested, trying to bat away my hands.

Before either of us could say more, there was a knock at the door. "Just a minute," I called as I got to my feet.

I opened the door to find Tomoyo on my front porch. "Hey Takafumi, your nee-san's here to get you."

"Save me!" he cried, confusing me until he continued: "Don't let her get me!"

I snorted as I shook my head. "Sometimes I'm glad I was an only child."

"Hey!" I heard him protest, but he didn't sound hurt.

"I think you'd like being an older brother more than you think," Tomoyo said quietly. "May I come in?"

"Sure," I said, stepping aside to let her come in. "Is something wrong?"

"Ichinose got home all right, if that's what you're asking."

"I wasn't, but thanks for telling me," I replied, concerned; something seemed to be bothering my friend.

She stared at her brother for a moment before turning to me again. "Actually, can I talk to you outside for a minute? I need to ask you something, but I don't want to make my brother wait outside while we talk."

"Sure," I said as I started to slip on my shoes, then looked over my shoulder at Takafumi. "I'll try not to take too much of your sister's time; I know you both have school tomorrow."

"Not a problem," Takafumi said with a smile. "I'll see about optimizing your system while you're out there."

"Sounds good," I said, having no idea what he was talking about.

I followed Tomoyo out the door and, after closing it behind me, turned to face her. "So…what did you want to talk about?"

She knotted her fingers repeatedly as she looked up at me. "Can we talk? I mean, tomorrow?"

"Sure, but…why can't we talk now? You asked me to come out here to talk, didn't you?"

"I know," she said, looking at the ground between us. "I just… didn't want to ask you in front of Takafumi."

"I see," I said, not really understanding. "Well, what time tomorrow?"

"I can meet you at your job after you get off work," she suggested. "We could get something to eat…together…and talk."

"That's fine," I said. "Can you tell me what you want to talk about? So I have a chance to think about it?"

She glanced around several times, apparently not able to meet my gaze. "I want…to tell you…about us."


	19. Total Recall

**Chapter Nineteen: Total Recall**

I spent an anxious day at work as I waited for closing time. Believing that the last bits of my memory were going to be restored kept me distracted for most of the day.

I was in the back room, getting my coat on, when I heard the front bell ring. Crud; I had forgotten to lock the door and flip the sign. "Just a minute, please."

"Okay."

I washed my hands one last time, then headed out to the showroom. "I'm sorry, but we're closed; I could help you with-"

"It's okay," Tomoyo said as she pushed a beautiful silver lock over her ear. "I flipped your sign and locked the door behind me."

"Thanks," I said. "I've been distracted all day because…well…"

"I get it," she said quietly. "Sorry it's taken me this long."

"Well, you had your reasons," I replied just as quietly.

"Yeah." We stood there awkwardly for what seemed like forever before she spoke again. "Well, you ready to go?"

"Since this morning," I answered as I chuckled awkwardly.

She smiled softly as she turned to head back to the entrance.

We opened the door to a surprise: "Tomoya, Sakagami-san; good afternoon," Kotomi greeted with a bow.

I bowed reflexively and noticed that Tomoyo ducked her head slightly. "Good afternoon, Kotomi," I greeted. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"I wanted-" She cut herself off with a glance to my silver-haired friend. "I-I wanted to walk you home; I did not know that you had something planned with Sakagami-san."

"Well, you talked me into it, so I'm doing it," Tomoyo replied.

"May…May I come?" Kotomi asked. "I…I wish to understand Tomoya better."

"Kotomi," I said, holding up a hand, "Tomoyo might be sharing some pretty personal stuff, and might not be comfortable with-"

"Sure, you can come," Tomoyo interrupted. "You need to understand, after all."

My childhood friend studied my silver-haired friend briefly. Finally, she nodded. "You are correct; I do need to understand."

As the three of us headed to the restaurant I realized that I was the only one who didn't understand…yet, at least.

* * *

We arranged ourselves at the table so the girls both sat across from me. I didn't want to appear to be playing favorites by sitting next to either of them…for now.

"I will pay for myself and for Tomoya," Kotomi insisted as she reached across to cover my hand.

"No, I'll take care of it," Tomoyo countered as she reached across to cover my other hand.

"Jeez, are you two going to start already?" I grunted, pulling my hands away from both of them. "I'll pay for my own stuff; that's what I was planning, anyway."

"O-Okay," they somehow managed to stutter in unison. "Sorry."

As we looked at our menus I found myself wishing that I had invited Pastor Jeff along; he could have given me some insight into my situation, or at least been a referee. Though if Kyou had found us, that could have made it more of a mess… I slapped my menu down on the table, a little annoyed at the whole situation. "I've decided. What about you?"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence after the waitress took our orders, and I looked across the table to see the girls staring at the tabletop when they weren't glancing at each other out of the corners of their eyes.

I crossed my arms, still somewhat annoyed. "If you two have anything to say to each other, then say it; I'm tired of watching this game of 'eye-tag'."

"I don't have anything to say," Tomoyo said quietly.

"I…I am just looking f-forward to what Sakagami-san has to say," Kotomi said, just as quietly.

I watched them squirm on the other side of the table until our food arrived. _"Itadakimasu."_

"So, when are you going to tell me what you're going to tell me?" I asked as we ate. "I remember you saying that I'm your fiancé…and I remembered that you and I have kissed after Kotomi kissed me."

Tomoyo looked up, surprised, as Kotomi gasped. "You what?"

"Kotomi and I have kissed," I clarified, setting my chopsticks aside to lean on the table. "Of course if you had told me about us sooner it might not have happened."

"T-Tomoya…?"

"Not now," I grunted, flicking a glance at my childhood friend. "I think that Tomoyo here is 'reaping what she's sown', as I think Pastor Jeff would put it." I returned my glare to Tomoyo. "You didn't want to influence me unfairly? Well, what do you expect when you don't influence me at all and then Kotomi starts giving me more attention than you do?" I leaned back and crossed my arms again. "Part of my life has been taken from me, Tomoyo. You've known something that'll help me get it back, but you've been making some idea of 'influence' more important than that, and that's pissed me off."

"I know," Tomoyo said, sounding more than a little guilty. "Ichinose told me that it wasn't fair to keep what I know from you…a part of your life that you've lost. Besides, you couldn't make an informed decision without the information about us."

I blinked in surprise; was that the conversation that Kotomi had said she was looking forward to last night? "Well, I'm just glad you're ready to talk," I sighed heavily. "Sorry for being a jerk."

Between bites, she refreshed my memory little my little; how we first met when Sunohara challenged her not once, but at least three times. When we kissed for the first time. How we decided to date until she won the Student Council presidency and then changed our minds when she did win. How my realization that I was holding her back caused me to break up with her and, finally, our teary reunion that winter after she had secured the safety of the sakura. As she spoke, my head started to hurt as the memories started to resurface.

"This…is a lot to take in…" I grunted, trembling as all the emotions from so many previously-lost memories washed over me.

"I'm sorry," I faintly heard Tomoyo say.

"It's fine," I grunted again as the emotions around our breakup returned. "It's hard, but I'm glad you told me. Thank you."

"You have been through so much together," Kotomi breathed. "I am jealous, but I am also sorry for getting in your way."

"It's not your fault," Tomoyo said softly. "Like Tomoya said; if I had said something sooner, a lot of this could have been avoided."

"I do not know what to do now," Kotomi admitted. "I now believe that what I did was unethical, but it was because I truly love you, Tomoya. And I really did believe that you had given up on him, Sakagami-san."

"I understand," Tomoyo replied. "I didn't give you much reason to believe otherwise. Maybe…" She bit her lower lip, tears in her eyes.

"Maybe what?" I prompted, enjoying a break from my emotional avalanche.

She looked at me with watery eyes. "Maybe I should get out of the way. I mean, Ichinose has taken better care of you since your injury than I have, so maybe she's better for you than I am."

"No!" Kotomi blurted, then ducked her head at the disapproving looks of the other guests. "You are a wonderful girl, Sakagami-san, and…a-and you two did promise to marry."

"But I'm starting to wonder how serious I was about that," Tomoyo countered. "If I was serious about us, wouldn't I have told him about us immediately?"

"That is a reasonable concern," Kotomi acknowledged, her voice shaky. "But I will ask you this: Do you love Tomoya?"

Tomoyo looked between us several times before studying me. "Oh god, yes," she whimpered. "More than I could describe."

"He is wonderful, is he not?" Kotomi asked as she turned her gaze toward me.

"Yeah." Tomoyo replied, her eyes still locked on me.

I was starting to feel pretty uncomfortable.

"And he makes you feel special, does he not?" Kotomi asked, her eyes still on me.

"Yeah," Tomoyo replied, a small smile starting to spread. "And he really knows how to treat a lady."

"Indeed," Kotomi said softly.

"His kisses are amazing…"

"Indeed…"

I shot up from my seat, causing the girls to flinch. "Excuse me for a minute; I'll…be right back." I really needed to leave the table and my worship team.

"Hurry back," they said, almost in unison.

* * *

I took a few minutes in the bathroom to compose myself, splashing my face with cold water several times before returning to my seat. I was really uncomfortable with praise, and the girls had just heaped a whole bunch of it on me.

"Hey," I greeted as I sat back down in my seat. "Sorry if I took too long."

"You're fine," Tomoyo said, then exchanged glances with Kotomi. "Listen, Tomoya…Ichinose and I have been talking, and…do you want to tell him?"

Kotomi shrunk under my gaze. "I was feeling brave before, but now…"

"Tell me what?" I asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Not at all!" my genius friend exclaimed, drawing the gaze of other guests again. "You are wonderful, Tomoya," she said in a lower tone.

"I'll tell him," Tomoyo declared, looking everywhere but at me. "See, Ichinose and I talked while you were in the bathroom, and…well…"

I felt a little anxious; had they decided who I would be with or something?

She finally fixed her eyes on mine. "What about dating both of us?"

Huh?


	20. Internal Conflicts

**Chapter Twenty: Internal Conflicts**

Pastor Jeff sat wide-eyed for the second time in a week as I told him about my dinner with Kotomi and Tomoyo.

"…and then Tomoyo suggested that I date both of them," I finished, falling back in my seat. Telling the whole story to anyone was embarrassing, not to mention exhausting.

He nodded slowly as his eyes lost focus. Finally, his eyebrows jumped. "You…get into some interesting situations, don't you?" he chuckled.

"I guess so," I replied, chuckling as well. "I would never have expected either of them to say something like that…dating them both, I mean."

"I don't know either of them very well, though I do know Ichinose-san a little bit, but yeah…" he grunted. "I wouldn't have seen that coming. So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure," I said, shrugging. "I just got hit with this bombshell last night, so I haven't had much time to think about it. I guess I just wanted to know what you thought of it."

It was his turn to shrug. "I don't see a problem; you date each of them and see how well you think the two of you 'click'. If you're asking "Pastor" Jeff what he thinks, I'd have to say that there's no problem; dating is for finding out how compatible you are. I'd be worried if you came in talking about marrying both of them."

"No way!" I exclaimed. "I'm not like that! One wife would be enough for me, thanks."

"Yeah," he said, his eyes losing focus again as he leaned forward in his chair, and I figured that he was thinking about his late wife. "One alone can be…fantastic."

"Did I hit a nerve there, boss?"

"No. Well, sort of, but I know you didn't mean to," he said, straightening again. "Anyway, as long as you keep track of who you're spending time with on what day, I don't see a problem. Of course it'll be hard when you do 'pick' one of them; the other will be hurt, of course."

"I know," I said quietly. "Of course, I could just not date either of them."

"And hurt both of them," he added.

I grunted as I ran my fingers through my hair. "True. Damn-oh, sorry."

He smiled kindly. "Don't worry about it; you've got bigger things on your mind right now. Once you get them sorted, I'll start getting on you about your language," he finished with a wink.

I allowed another chuckle to escape. "Hey, how are things with Kyou? Is she still coming around to 'study'?"

He rubbed his face with both hands. "Yes, she has. Do you think you could add her to your list of girls?" he asked, peeking between his fingers.

"No way! She's not my type!" I gave him an impish grin. "Besides, I don't think anything could get her attention off of you."

He dropped his hands from his face with a sigh. "I wish she'd just give up; I'm too old for her and I still miss my wife. Besides, I can't marry outside my faith."

"How come?"

He sighed again. "Our focuses would be different; I would be focused on the things of the Lord – at least, as best as I can – but her focus would be on the things of this world. We would be 'unequally yoked', two oxen pulling in different directions."

"You'd end up frustrating each other," I realized.

"Exactly."

"I think I get it," I said as another thought occurred to me. "If she became a Christian, that would take care of part of it, right?"

"Tomoya-san, what are you saying?" he asked, paling more than his usual skin color. "Are you trying to put us together or something?"

"I dunno," I grunted. "I guess it bothers me that you can't give her a chance. I mean, even though she was pretty mean to me our last year of school, I know that's she's a really nice girl who cares about…others…" I trailed off as I realized that she was starting to sound a bit like Jessica.

"Tomoya-san," Hearing my name snapped me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to see him with an annoyed expression. "I have no intention of dating or marrying or anything like that at this time, and would appreciate it if you would stop bringing it up."

"I-I'm sorry," I said, feeling the blood drain from my face. "I didn't mean to piss you off."

"I believe you," he said carefully, "but the fact of the matter is that it does upset me, so I would appreciate it if this never came up again."

I stared at him wide-eyed. The look of pain on his face told me that I'd really crossed a line. "I-I'll never bring it up again; I promise."

"Thank you," he said, relaxing at last. "I'm sorry for coming on the way I did."

"You're fine," I said, waving my hands. "I can't even imagine what it's like for you, so…yeah. No problem."

I internally breathed a sigh of relief when his usual kind smile returned. "I'd still like to be here for you if needed, but I'll understand if this has damaged our relationship."

I thought it was weird thinking of having a 'relationship' with another man but, technically, it made sense. "No, we're good…at least as far as I'm concerned."

"Good. Now…forgive me, but I…need some time alone."

"No problem," I said, getting up from my seat. "You've helped me a lot, so…thanks."

He started to rise from his seat as well. "If you'll allow it, I'd like to pray for you before you go."

I was impressed; even after being as upset with me as he was, he still wanted to take care of me? "Y-You don't have to…"

"It's my calling and my pleasure," he replied, then grinned. "It's also up to you."

I nodded once, not trusting my words, and he came up and put his hand on my good shoulder. "Lord Jesus, Tomoya-san here has some pretty big decisions to make regarding his life; he has two girls competing for his affection, and we know that, regardless of who he chooses, someone will be hurt. Please give him your guidance and wisdom as he goes through this emotionally-charged time, and show him what you would have him do. May your will be done."

* * *

I thought about his words – his prayer, actually – as my feet took me back home. If there really was an all-powerful being outside of time and space as Pastor Jeff had described, then how come he let my mom die when I was so young? How come he let my dad and I fight to the point where my shoulder broke? So why should I trust someone like that? I felt my knuckles pop and looked down at my tightly-fisted hand. I sighed as I forced it to relax, but my anger remained.

If there really was a god 'out there', then I hated him. I hated him for letting my mom die, I hated him for letting my dad suffer because of that, I hated him for letting him break my shoulder…and I hated him for letting those kids beat the hell out of me for their own amusement. "You get off on this kind of stuff, don't you?!" I shouted to the sky.

"Tomoya?"

I looked to find Kyou walking next to me; she must have joined me while I was lost in my thoughts. "Oh…hey."

"You okay?" she asked. "Who were you yelling at?"

My chuckle sounded more like a scoff. "I'm…just yelling at God. Pastor's Jeff's God, I mean."

"Oh." She studied me as I gave her my laundry list of complaints against him. "You think his god did this to you?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I mean, I know he didn't do it himself, but he could have stopped it, right?"

She slowed, bringing us both to a stop. "I've…been reading the Bible, Tomoya. God could have stopped all that, but…he would have to, um…" She looked like she was trying to find the right words. "If I understand what I've read right, he gave us the ability to choose what we do. I think Jeff called it our 'free will'."

I crossed my arms, not feeling very open, but listened; this was Kyou, after all.

"He would have to 'override' the free will he gave us, which would be going against himself." She put her finger to her lips as she thought some more. "So he lets us choose what we're going to do, but in the end he'll hold us responsible for the choices we make."

"What does that even mean?" I snorted.

She leveled her gaze at me. "That means that your dad will have to answer for what he did to you, I'll have to answer for how I treated you last year, and whoever hurt you will have to answer for that, but…"

"'But' what?"

"You'll also have to answer for how you've treated other people, too."

I suddenly felt a little vulnerable.


	21. Double-Date

**Chapter Twenty-One: Double-Date**

I grabbed the phone before it could ring a second time; if it was who I thought it was, I'd been looking forward to this call. "Hello, this is Okazaki."

" _Tomoya? This is Tomoyo."_ I heard her chuckle. _"I still feel kinda funny saying our names so close together."_

"I hear you," I said, chuckling as well. "So, are you calling about our date?"

" _Yup!"_ she said happily. _"It's been too long. Anyway, I figured a movie and dinner would be fun."_

"Can't argue with that," I replied. "Did you have any particular movie in mind?"

She gave me a couple of names and we agreed on one of them, a light action movie. _"It's been getting good reviews,"_ she remarked.

"I've seen them," I said. "I just didn't want to see a movie like that by myself."

" _I understand,"_ she said. _"What time do you want to meet?"_

I blew air noisily between my lips before realizing that I was blowing into the phone. "Oops, sorry about that; didn't mean to blow in your ear."

" _No problem."_

"Well…Well, what time does the movie start?"

" _Hang on."_ I heard the rustling of paper. _"There's a 3:30 showing and a 6 PM showing. After that, it'd be too late."_

"Gotcha. Well, looks like the 3:30 showing would be better; we could have dinner after that. Do you want to meet outside the theater?"

" _That'll work. What time?"_

I mulled over her question for a minute. "We should probably get there about a half-hour early, at least; I'm not sure how long the lines'll be."

" _Not as long as when the movie first came out, but a half-hour sounds like a good idea. So, you want to meet in front of the theater at 3:00?"_

I did one last check in my head before answering. "Yeah, sounds good."

" _Cool. Well, see you later."_

* * *

I checked myself one last time as I rounded the corner to meet Tomoyo in front of the theater. I couldn't wear my school uniform as my formal outfit anymore, so I chose to wear tan slacks along with a black polo shirt. I wasn't sure if it looked okay with my hair color, but since I'd never thought about fashion before I figured she'd tell me if I looked silly or anything.

I smiled as I heard a familiar voice call my name, and looked up from my adjustments to see- "Huh?"

Tomoyo was there, waiting for me…with Kotomi next to her. "Tomoya! Good afternoon!"

"H-Hey, Kotomi," I greeted as I walked up to the girls. "What a coincidence; are you here to see a movie, too?"

"Of course!" she chirped.

"Cool. Which one?"

"Why, the same one as you and Sakagami-san," she replied with a puzzled look.

"Huh; I didn't know you were into action movies."

She blushed lightly. "I am not, but I decided to let Sakagami-san pick this time. I am not very familiar with movies in general."

Something wasn't adding up. "Wait a minute; why would you let Tomoyo pick your movie?"

"I think I see the problem," Tomoyo interjected. "Tomoya, we told you that we agreed that you could date both of us, right?"

"Yeah, I remember," I said, easily recalling the strange conversation from the restaurant. "What does that have to…do…with…" I trailed off as I realized that I might have horribly misunderstood them. "Wait a minute…you can't be serious."

I stared in disbelief as they looked at each other, smiled, then each grabbed one of my arms.

"H-Hold on!" I protested, trying to pull my arms free. "When you talked about me dating both of you, I didn't know you meant at the same time!"

"I am sorry, Tomoya," Kotomi said. "I can understand how you could have been confused by our statement; I did not realize at the time that it could be taken more than one way."

"Besides," Tomoyo chimed in, "what are you complaining about? You get to be with two beautiful women. You should feel honored."

I did feel honored, if very uncomfortable. "B-But…"

"Come on, you're going to make us late," she ordered, nearly dragging Kotomi and I behind her into the theater.

* * *

I felt like the filling in a sandwich as I sat between the two girls. Even though there was plenty of room between us, I still felt stuffy and very uncomfortable. "S-So," I said, trying to distract myself from the situation, "how's life treating you…each of you?"

They started to answer at the same time, then gestured to each other at the same time, then giggled in their own unique ways. "Please, Sakagami-san," Kotomi insisted. "You go first."

"Thanks," Tomoyo said as she leaned into me, Kotomi following suit. "School's pretty much the same as always. I'm really looking forward to graduation, though; I'm sick of all the stress."

"I'll bet," I grinned. "What about the Student Council?"

"Same as always," she grunted. "Meetings, meetings, and more meetings. I swear, it's like what I've heard about the departments at companies; they'll spend all their money to justify the same budget for next year."

"That sounds unethical," Kotomi observed.

"I think so, too," Tomoyo agreed. "It's like the Council has to look busy or people will think we don't do anything. Jeez, we can't be working all the time!"

"Sounds exhausting," I said, feeling a little sorry for her.

"It's fine," she replied, drawing her hair over her ear. "If anyone complains about us being lazy, I just give them something to do. All of a sudden, we're not lazy anymore."

"That sounds unethical as well," Kotomi said, but her giggle told me that she didn't mean it too much.

"Hey, it gets the job done," Tomoyo retorted with a smile. "How's your work going?"

Kotomi took a moment to snuggle my arm, momentarily reminding me of my situation. "I cannot say much about it of course, but I believe it is okay to tell you that we have constructed the housing for our device."

"Do you have a name for it?" I asked. "A project name or something like that?"

"We do, but…unfortunately, the project name is classified. I am sorry."

"That's okay," I said. "I don't understand all of this science-y stuff anyway, but I can understand needing to keep it secret."

"Thank you."

"Hey, the movie's about to start," Tomoyo interrupted, pointing up as the light started to dim.

We settled back into our seats as the previews started. At least, the girls did; I ended up locked in place for the whole two hours due to the girls holding onto my arms through the whole movie. It was fortunate that I didn't need to pee.

* * *

"I am so sorry!" Kotomi said tearfully as we left the theater. "I did not consider how my actions would affect you."

"It's fine," I grunted as I shook out my numbed arms. "Or at least it will be, once I get my circulation back."

"Sorry about that, Tomoya," Tomoyo said as she rubbed my arm. "I really didn't mean to do that to you." I saw her glance over at Kotomi. "We'll behave better next time."

"Thanks," I said as we started for the restaurant. "I appreciate…wait, next time?"

Tomoyo looked at me with disbelief. "What, you really thought you were going to get off with just one date? We have a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it."

"Sakagami-san is correct," Kotomi agreed. "With our schedules, planning time together is hard work. We were fortunate this time, but future dates may be more difficult to schedule."

"We could try dating one-on-one?" I suggested helpfully as well as desperately. "Fewer schedules to…coordinate?"

"Now, that will simply not do," Kotomi insisted. "You need to interact with us in the same environments at the same time to reduce, if not eliminate, any rogue variables."

"Could someone translate that to 'idiot' for me?" I complained.

"You do not need it translated," Kotomi pressed. "You are very smart, Tomoya; you just need to apply yourself."

"What she said," Tomoyo agreed. "You need to start doing your own homework."

"Al right, all right, I think I get it," I said, raising my still-tingling hands. "If I got it right, you want me to see both of you in the same situations so it'll be easier to compare you."

"That…That is close enough," my childhood friend acknowledged.

"I don't like the idea of 'comparing', though," Tomoyo grunted.

"Well, isn't that what I'm supposed to be doing?" I countered.

"Yeah, but I still don't have to like your choice of words."

I didn't like the idea of comparing them, either; Tomoyo and Kotomi each had their own unique charms and qualities that made them each beautiful in their own way. To compare them would be like saying one set of traits was better than another. And, truth be told, I could easily see myself with either of them. "Let's…just go eat," I said, picking up my pace as the girls each took hold of one of my hands.

At least they let me keep my circulation.


	22. Meal Deal

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Meal Deal**

"Well, this is nice," Tomoyo said as we settled into our seats. The girls had chosen a different restaurant than the ones we were familiar with, apparently so I could see how they'd react to new and unfamiliar environments.

"Yeah," I agreed, looking around at the inside. "It looks…cozy."

"I like the soft colors they utilized," Kotomi remarked as she sat next to her rival. Thankfully they had chosen to sit on the same side again, just like last time. My circulation was safe for the time being. "Green and brown are colors of intellect, so this restaurant feels like a library, even without the books."

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" I commented with an understanding smile; she was a bookworm, all right. "What about you, Tomoyo? What do you think?"

She took a moment to look around. "It's not my thing, really," she said as she readjusted her headband, "but I could see myself getting used to something like this." She nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Cozy. I see it."

We took the next few minutes studying the menu, learning what the place had to offer.

"Are you ready to order?" a polite female voice asked, interrupting my studies.

I lowered the menu to better see our server; I didn't want to be rude, after all. "Not yet ma'am, I…hey, it's you!"

Our server's eyes bugged out as her hair 'antennae' nearly stood straight up. "O-Okazaki-san! It's been a long time!"

"Yeah," I said, smiling warmly at my old 'tardy buddy'. "How have you been? Did you ever get the Theater Club going again?"

"I…I'm sorry, I can't talk about personal stuff while I'm working," she said.

"Tomoya? Who's this?" Tomoyo asked.

I gestured to our server. "This is Furukawa. We met each other at the beginning of last year, and started going to school late together."

"So you were a delinquent, too?" Tomoyo asked, narrowing her eyes.

Furukawa instantly turned beet-red, and I found myself missing that part of her. "She's not a delinquent, Tomoyo; calm down. It's not my story to tell, but I can say that her reasons for being late were a lot better than mine."

"If you say so," Tomoyo said, visibly relaxing. "Wait, haven't I seen you at school?"

"You have," Furukawa admitted. "But…I'm sorry, I-"

"You can't talk about yourself on the job," I finished for her. "We get it."

"I'm sorry…" she repeated. "Oh! I'm supposed to take your order!"

"Could we have a few more minutes?" I asked.

"O-Of course!" she squeaked. "Take your time! I'm sorry for rushing you!" Before I could get out another word, she hurried off to another table, glancing back at us the whole way.

"What a nice girl," Kotomi said as we watched our server scoot away. "She seems kind and considerate."

"I think 'timid' would be a better word," Tomoyo remarked, carefully flipping her hair.

"Yeah," I snorted. "I see what you mean. I wonder how she ended up with a job like this with as shy as she is?"

"She is not as shy as you might think," Kotomi said. "One would not be able to hold employment in the services industry with a reserved personality. Interaction with the public would eliminate those unsuited for the positions."

I picked my jaw up from the table. "Could some-no, I'm not going to ask for a translation, but…I never thought of that."

"Me neither," Tomoyo grunted. "That's…really impressive, Ichinose."

"Th-Thank you," Kotomi stammered. "Since…Since she cannot be generally shy and keep her job, there must be an unknown variable causing her to behave this way."

"She might be embarrassed because her old classmates are here," Tomoyo noted. "Or maybe…"

"Wh-What?" I said as I suddenly found myself under the scrutiny of both of my 'dates'.

* * *

"And here you go!" Furukawa chirped as she placed my dinner in front of me. Across from me, the girls were already looking eagerly at their own meals. "Enjoy!"

"This looks really good," I said, then looked up to our server, "Thanks, Furukawa."

I had to force myself not to smile as she instantly turned beet-red again. "I-I didn't make it, Okazaki-san! I…I-I just brought it out to you!"

"Calm down, Furukawa," Tomoyo said. "Just take it as he's thanking you for bringing it to him, then."

"O-Okay," our panicked server replied with her hand on her chest. "P-Please enjoy!" Just like before, she hurried off before I could get out another word.

"What a nice girl," Kotomi said as we watched our server scoot away yet again. "She seems kind and considerate."

"I still think that 'timid' would be a better word," Tomoyo remarked. "Well? Let's eat!"

"Let us put our hands to-" Kotomi started before catching herself. "I am sorry; we are all adults, here."

"It's fine," I said with a soft chuckle. I then made a show of putting my hands together as I wiggled my eyebrows at Kotomi, who ducked her head with a blush.

" _Itadakimasu."_

We ate quietly for several minutes, occasionally commenting on the quality of the food; since we had talked so much before the movie and on our way to the restaurant, we didn't have much to talk about during the meal.

I was trying to think of something to say when a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. "Tomoya-san?"

I looked up from my meal to see Pastor Ashton heading our way. "Hey, pastor!" I greeted, grabbing my napkin to wipe my mouth before getting to my feet as he stopped by our table. "Good to see you!" I said as we shook hands.

"Small world, isn't it?" he said with a broad smile. "I came for some good food, but I didn't expect to see friendly faces…other than the staff, of course."

I chuckled at his attempt at saving face. "Well, I'm glad we could be friendly faces for you."

"He wasn't talking about you," Tomoyo quipped with a grin as Kotomi watched with wide eyes. "He was obviously talking about us."

"Hey!" I protested.

"Now Sakagami-san; Tomoya may have his challenges, but he is a friendly face," Pastor Jeff said with a lightly scolding tone along with a warm smile.

"R-Right…sorry."

"Hey, do you mind if I join you?" he asked. "I was ready to sit by myself, but…"

"I don't mind," I said, then looked to the girls. "What do you think?"

"I do not mind," Kotomi said. "Listening to Ashton-sensei speak is always a pleasure."

"Oh…uh, thank you," he murmured, tugging at his collar.

"Tomoyo?"

"Fine by me," my silver-haired friend grunted. "It'll be good to have something to talk about."

I sat back down in the booth and the pastor slid in next to me, across from Tomoyo. "Thanks. I don't mind eating alone, but I prefer being around others."

"Glad to oblige," Tomoyo said. "How's your job going?"

"Stressful," he admitted. "I've been trying to make this an 'Acts' church for the last two years, but I've been getting a lot of resistance."

"'Acts church'?" Kotomi asked. "What does that mean?"

He appeared to give himself a moment to think. "The book of Acts in the New testament talks, in part, about the structure of the newly-formed church," he explained. "See, Christianity is supposed to be a brotherhood of sorts, where the members all 'lift each other up', praying for each other, and just generally supporting each other in their walk with God."

"But I take it that's not happening?" I said, seeing where he was likely going.

He shook his head as he sighed in resignation. "Nope. In fact, it's turning out like the churches back in America, where the congregation treats the pastor or minister like their own personal chaplain." He leaned back in his seat. "We've elected elders based on biblical precepts, but they won't do what they're supposed to."

"I am so sorry," Kotomi said sympathetically.

"Getting people to do what you want is harder than you thought, huh?" Tomoyo remarked. "As the student council president, I think I can understand."

"It's not that," Pastor Jeff said. "It's not about doing what I tell them; it's about doing what the Bible tells us. Put another way, what God tells us through the Bible."

I had my doubts about his book, but that didn't stop me from feeling bad for him; after all, if people agreed to follow his Bible, then they should've been willing to do what it told them. "So, if-"

"Hey!" another familiar voice greeted, and I started to wonder how full our booth would get. "Fancy seeing you here!"

I could sense Pastor Jeff tense up next to me, and I wasn't surprised to find Kyou walking quickly over to our table. "Hey, Kyou," I greeted, hoping to take her attention away from the pastor.

She wasn't biting, though: "Ashton-sensei! I haven't seen you in a while! How are you?"

"I…am doing well overall, thank you," he replied; even I could see the 'fight or flight' look in his eyes as he kept his gaze fixed on the tabletop. "Just working on some issues at the church."

"Can I help?" she offered. "I've been reading the Bible, and-"

"NO!" he yelled, drawing the attention of other guests as he bolted to his feet with his hands fisted at his sides. "Just…!"

My eyes widened; what had Kyou been doing to the poor man?


	23. Reconciliation

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Reconciliation**

"I-I'm sorry," Pastor Jeff said. "I…I have to go." He nearly ran out of the restaurant, and I swore he left a cloud of dust.

We all watched his flight before looking to my purple-haired friend. "Kyou-san; he seemed…afraid of you," Kotomi noted.

Because she was looking away from us we couldn't see her expression, but we definitely saw the heavy sigh she gave. "Have I completely messed things up?" she asked sadly, apparently to no one in particular.

"Excuse me, girls," I said as I bolted from my seat. I threw money in the general direction of the cashier before slamming my way out the restaurant door.

I found him not too far away, sitting on a bench with his face buried in his hands. "Pastor Jeff?"

"I can't take this anymore," he said in a shaky voice.

"Can't take what?" I asked as I sat down at the opposite end of the bench.

"This…impression…" he muffled, hands still covering his face.

"I don't understand."

He sat up, letting his hands fall into his lap. "It could just be timing, but ever since I met Miss Kyou I've been getting this impression that I need to…to marry again."

"Really...?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.

"I ignored it, rebuked it, fought it…" he scratched roughly at the top of his head. "It wouldn't go away. And then she started showing up at the church…"

"I'll bet that didn't help," I said, feeling bad for the guy.

"What's maddening is that this has the same 'feeling' of all the other times when God has told me to do something. And when I've obeyed, I've been blessed beyond words."

"I don't get it, then," I said. "If it's the same, then why don't you obey it this time?"

"I'm a widower, Tomoya; I feel like I'd be betraying Jessica if I remarried."

I sighed. What the hell did I know about Christianity? How could I help him? But a thought occurred to me: "If this feeling that God's telling you something is the same as before, then aren't you making your feelings more important than what he's telling you to do?"

He nodded slowly. "I know. It's just that…well, the church that ordained me believes that you marry once for all eternity."

"Do you believe that?" I asked.

"I used to," he admitted. "But then Jessica died, and…"

"…it got a little too real for you?"

He nodded again, this time with a wry smile. "That's one way of putting it. It is pretty easy to hold a belief when it costs you nothing."

"Does your Bible say anything about remarrying?"

"Not directly," he said. "In Romans, Paul writes about how a woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives, but if he dies she's released. Since women back then didn't have any means of supporting themselves, verses like that tended to apply to widows, but Scripture gives no reason as to why it couldn't apply to widowers as well."

"That makes sense," I acknowledged. "It would suck if your wife died at a young age, leaving you alone for the next fifty or sixty years."

"Yeah, it would," he replied in a strained voice. "To be so close, and then suddenly alone…yeah, it would."

I cringed as I realized that I'd probably hit too close to home, but allowed myself to think back to his 'impression'. "You seemed like you're afraid of Kyou, but could it be that you're really afraid…" I hesitated for a moment out of concern. "…afraid of yourself?"

"Guilty," he confessed. "Well, partly." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye with a small smile. "Miss Kyou can be very…persistent."

"No kidding," I said with a chuckle. "She could be pretty in-your-face back in high school."

"I don't think ill of her, if it helps," he offered. "Just...having to fight a desire for companionship from within, along with her trying to be around me all the time has been…draining."

"Sorry about that," I said, trying to console him. "I could tell her to back off, but I don't know how much good it would do."

"After the way I was at the restaurant, I don't think that will be necessary," he said. "I've likely cured her of any affection she had toward me."

"Not as likely as you think," came a soft, female voice, and Pastor Jeff and I turned to find Kyou, accompanied by Tomoyo and Kotomi. Kyou had a look of regret, and I noticed that both of my dates each had a hand on her back.

"M-Miss Kyou?" he stuttered as we both got to our feet. "Why a-are you here?"

She could only bite her lip, so Tomoyo spoke for her. "She's come to apologize for the way she's treated you."

"No," he said softly, shaking his head. "If anyone is owed an apology, it would be you," he said to Kyou. "I'm very sorry for the way I treated you at the restaurant."

"Please don't apologize," she replied softly. "It's my fault; I pushed you to this, and I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry."

"Perhaps it would be to your mutual benefit to be open and honest with one another," Kotomi suggested. "There may be some misunderstandings that could be cleared up."

"I think she's right," Kyou said with a sigh. "And since I started this, I'll go first." She stepped away from Tomoyo's and Kotomi's touch and moved to stand right in front of Pastor Jeff. From where I was standing I could see the fear in her eyes, and I understood; she was going to confess her feelings, opening herself up to rejection.

Pastor Jeff visibly swallowed. "Maybe we should-"

"No," she interrupted. "I need to say this before I lose my nerve." We watched as she appeared to steel her nerves, then. "Jeff Ashton; I love you."

It was hard to miss the very-audible gasps from my dates.

"I won't lie and say that it was love-at-first-sight, but I know that I liked you after you told me about being modest," she explained. "I thought about that for a long time after that, and I wanted to know more about you, which was why I started visiting your office."

"Kyou, I'm-"

"I'm not finished," she interrupted. "As I got to know more about you, I realized what a neat guy you are." Tears started to pool in her eyes. "And when I remembered that your wife had died, it hurt. I hated the idea of you hurting and alone." She reached out toward him, but stopped herself. "I want…I want to take your pain away…Jeff."

I snuck a glance over at Tomoyo and Kotomi to find them with looks of open-mouthed surprise. Both were wide-eyed, and Kotomi was noticeably trembling.

Pastor Ashton rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down at her. "I, uh, don't know what to say, Miss Kyou. You know how old I am, right?"

"You are thirty-two years old, and I am eighteen," she replied without any hesitation.

"R-Right," he said, then blinked. "Hey, you had a birthday? Happy birthday! I hope it was a good one."

"Thank you," she said, still gazing intently at him.

He sighed heavily. "Thank you for your open honesty, Miss Kyou. To tell you the truth, I've felt an impression that I should remarry, but I've been fighting it. In fact, Tomoya and I were just talking about it when you arrived."

Kyou said nothing, but simply watched him.

"I've been struggling with both my own feelings as well as the opinions of my sponsoring church. I feel like if I remarry, I'll be betraying my wife."

"She's gone, Jeff," Kyou replied sympathetically. "I've read the Bible too, and it only says we can't remarry after a divorce or it's adultery. But if a spouse dies…" Her tears began to flow. "I'm sorry, Jeff; I'm pushing again."

"I think I understand," he said softly. "I'll just need…some time…"

"Take all the time you need," she said as she wiped at her face. "I'm here for you if you need me."

He nodded once before turning to me. "Tomoya, please take care of Miss Kyou; I need to go home."

"You got it, boss," I replied. "Call me if you need to, okay?"

He lifted a shaky hand without a word before heading off toward home.

I looked back from Pastor Jeff's departing from to Kyou, who stood with her hands clasped and tears dripping from her chin. "Kyou? Are you going to be okay?"

"I did it," she squeaked. "I confessed to him…and he didn't reject me."

"Good for you, Kyou-san," Kotomi said as she and Tomoyo approached her from behind. "That was very brave of you."

"Yeah, that took guts," Tomoyo agreed. "Especially after how things went at the restaurant."

"Y-Yeah," Kyou said, trembling. "I feel a lot better now, but at the same time…I feel afraid."

"You really put yourself out there," I said, feeling no small amount of admiration. "Good job."

"Thank you, Tomoya," she replied. "That means a lot to me."

All it took was a hand on the shoulder from Tomoyo for the dam to break, and Kyou melted into tears, resting her head on the younger girl's shoulder. Kyou may have appeared on the surface to be a tough girl, but she was still a caring, compassionate, vulnerable girl.


	24. Complications

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Complications**

"That was pretty intense," Tomoyo remarked as she flopped down on the other side of the kotatsu. After walking Kyou home, the three of us had headed to my place to finish our time together.

"Indeed," Kotomi said, sitting as well. "One could almost feel the emotion in the air, like electricity."

I noticed Tomoyo looking from me to Kotomi and back several times. "You okay, Tomoyo?"

"I'm fine," she said, waving a hand. "Just tired, I guess. Like I said, that was pretty intense."

I headed to the kitchen and started to prepare some tea. Hopefully the girls would be okay with green tea, since that's all I had. The place was quiet as the tea steeped.

Kotomi was the first to break the silence as I placed her mug in front of her. "Kyou-san was very brave, was she not?"

"Yeah," I grunted. "Amazing. I never knew she had it in her."

"I do hope Ashton-sensei accepts her feelings," she said as she lowered her mug. "He seems like such a good man who deserves to be happy."

I thought back on my little tirade over hating his god and started feeling a little guilty. "Yeah; he's all about others…kinda like Kyou."

"Why was she so nasty to you last year, though?" Tomoyo asked.

"I dunno," I admitted. "She still takes jabs at me every once in a while…but I don't see her as much as I used to, so she doesn't get many chances to."

"Thank goodness," she grunted.

We went back to quietly sipping our tea for the next few minutes.

"Well, I'd probably better head home," Tomoyo remarked as she got to her feet. "Got school in the morning."

"It is a shame you have to leave," Kotomi said sadly as I got to my feet.

"Yeah," my silver-haired fiend said somewhat absently as she appeared to study us again. "Well, talk to you later."

"Hold up a second," I told her before turning to my childhood friend. "Be back in just a minute."

"Okay," she replied with a warm smile.

I followed Tomoyo out the door and stopped her. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

I crossed my arms as I studied her. "Something's been eating you since…since Kyou's confession, at least. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said evasively.

"Tomoyo, I don't like lying any more than you do."

She sighed heavily, her shoulders dropping. "All right; something is bothering me, but I don't know what it is."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Just…be patient with me…please?" She turned sad blue eyes up at me, and I could swear she almost looked like a lost little girl.

So I uncrossed my arms to lay a hand on her shoulder. "Sure thing, Tomoyo. Take your time. You know where to find me if you need me."

"Yeah," she replied, laying a hand on top of mine. "Thanks. See you later." With that, she stepped away, my hand dropping from her shoulder as she turned and headed down the road in the direction of her home.

I reentered my home to find Kotomi standing in the middle of the living room, squeezing her hands together repeatedly.

"I have been waiting for you, Tomoya," she said.

"Sorry if I took too long,"

"It is not that," she said, shaking her head with a smile. "I just…"

I watched her as she fidgeted, knotting and unknotting her hands repeatedly.

She suddenly moved, and I thought she was lunging for me, but she tripped on something – probably her own feet – and I had to move quickly to catch her before she hit the floor. "Kotomi, are you all right?" I asked, trying to contain my laughter.

"Oh, phoo," she huffed as I steadied her. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, you…certainly did that," I said, still trying to rein it in.

A snort from her direction ruined my efforts, and we both laughed at the awkwardness of the whole thing. "I am sorry, Tomoya."

"It's not a problem," I said. "Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"In a manner of speaking," she said as she wiped her eyes before fixing me with a more serious expression. "Tomoya…I love you," she said, laying her hand on my cheek.

She'd said things like that before, but…something was different, and the room suddenly felt very warm. "Um…th-thanks, Kotomi."

She laid her other hand on my other cheek, and everything seemed to go in slow motion as she tilted my head down as she brought hers up…

* * *

"Okazaki?"

…

"Okazaki!"

"Huh?" I snapped out of my musings to find myself in at work; damn, I must have spaced out again. "I'm really sorry, boss; I've got a lot on my mind."

"Fine, but I need you here right now. I'm not paying you to work on your philosophy," he intoned, crossing his arms.

"Won't happen again," I promised before turning my attention back to the toaster in front of me.

He came up next to me and leaned on my worktable. "What's eatin' you, anyway?"

"It's kinda…complicated," I said as I removed the heating elements. "And awkward."

"It's a girl, isn't it?" His question was more of a statement than anything.

"Two, actually," I grunted before thinking.

"Two? And you call that a problem?" he said, his voice laced with humor. "Damn, Okazaki, I wish I had your problem!"

"You wouldn't if you actually had it," I countered with a wry smile. "They're both nice girls…one of them is my childhood friend and the other was my underclassman last year."

"A childhood friend and an underclassman?" he echoed. "Sounds like something out of one of those visual novels or something."

"I hope not," I snorted. "My life sure doesn't feel like a game right now."

I felt him clap me on the shoulder a couple of times. "Well, you're a smart kid, Okazaki; you'll figure something out."

"Thanks."

* * *

We waved as we went our separate ways at the end of the day, and as I headed home I internally panicked as I saw a kid wearing the uniform of the local industrial high school.

I tried to think of another route, one that would take me around the area, but he saw me before I could change course. "Hey."

Damn. "H-Hello."

"Gotta minute?"

"Sure," I said, stopping a good distance away from him; I had just got most, if not all, of my memories back and I wasn't eager to lose them again. Of course I'd been training with Tomoyo, but I knew my skills weren't enough just yet. "What can I do for you?"

"Keeping your distance, huh?" he said. "Yeah, I don't blame you." He pushed himself off of the wall he'd been leaning against but didn't come any closer. "Listen…I, uh…"

I waited patiently but alert as I waited.

"…I'm the one who clocked you in the head."

Fury tried to cloud my vision, but I fought it. "Why did you do that?" I asked as evenly as I could.

"Look, I'm really sorry," he said, surprising me. "I was aiming for your upper back, but my bat slipped."

"That's not very comforting."

"I know. I just wanted to tell you that, and…I shouldn't have helped," he said, surprising me again.

"What do you mean, you shouldn't have helped?"

"Well…first off, I've got no beef with you; I kinda let myself get pulled along."

"Okay…"

"Second; Tanaka's problems are with Sakagami, not with you. I didn't like that he wanted to go after you, but…like I said, I got pulled along."

"You didn't want to end up getting a beating of your own?"

He nodded in resignation. "I guess I'm not as tough as I thought."

"I dunno," I said, scratching my cheek. "It takes a lot of courage to talk to me like this, doesn't it?"

He snorted. "I guess so."

I studied the youth for a minute as he fidgeted. "Look, I forgive you for clocking me; it sounds like you have some stuff you're having to deal with yourself. Is that why you hang out with Tanaka and the others?"

"Yeah," he admitted, kicking at the ground with his toe.

"Well, if you need someone to talk to, I work at the recycle shop back there," I said, pointing over my shoulder. "I know I'm not much older than you, but if I can help…"

"Um, sure. Thanks," he said, still kicking at the ground. "Look, I gotta go. Take it easy." He turned and headed down a nearby alley, his eyes firmly fixed on the ground.

I shook my head as I started toward home again, hoping that I hadn't bitten off more than I could chew.


	25. Doing the Splits

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Doing the Splits**

I sat with my chin resting on my hands as I stared at my milkshake.

"What is the matter, Tomoya?" Kotomi asked. "Do you not like chocolate?"

"No, it's not that," I said. "I guess I'm just worried about Tomoyo."

She smiled affectionately. "I understand. It is a shame that she could not make it this time."

"Yeah," I mumbled, but I wondered; she had called me the morning of our 'group date' to let me know she wasn't feeling well. _"I haven't been getting enough sleep, lately. You two have a good time, though."_ I'd had no choice but to accept what she said, but something didn't feel right about it.

I felt Kotomi's gaze against the side of my face. "Shall…Shall we go visit her after we are done here?" she asked with a bit of a strain to her voice.

"Yeah, I'd like that," I replied. "Just to make sure she's okay."

She took my arm immediately after I finished paying for our snack, and we headed down the road toward Tomoyo's house. We both knew where she lived because of our prior 'dates', so it wasn't long before we entered a neighborhood similar to where Kotomi lived: rows of nice, gated houses lining the road, each surrounded by bushes.

I opened the gate to let Kotomi enter ahead of me, then carefully closed the gate before heading to the front door to ring the doorbell. We both knew that it was a Saturday but were still surprised when Takafumi answered the door. "Oh hey, Okazaki-san, Ichinose-san! Good afternoon!"

"Hey, Takafumi," I greeted. "We're here to visit your sister, if she's up to having company."

He gave us a puzzled look. "Nee-san? She's out running errands."

It was my turn to have a puzzled look. "Errands? I thought she wasn't feeling well."

A gentle pressure on my arm drew my attention to Kotomi. "Takafumi-san, did your sister say anything about feeling unwell this morning?"

He shrugged. "No, she seemed pretty normal; just had her breakfast and went to school. She was only home for a few minutes after school before heading out to do her errands."

Now that was weird; why would she tell us that she wasn't feeling well and then go run errands? "Do you know where she went?"

"To the market, as far as I know," he said. "Why?"

"The three of us had planned to spend time together today," Kotomi answered, surprising me with her initiative. "We missed her and wanted to check up on her."

"We didn't mean to bother you," I added.

"It's not a problem," the high-schooler said. "Hey, how's your computer doing?"

"Fine," I said with an awkward grin. "To be honest, though, I haven't signed up for the internet yet; I've been mostly playing around with the programs."

"We all learn at our own pace," he said with a disarming smile. "No rush. Like I said; if you need help you can call me."

"Thanks."

"I...I have been helping him," Kotomi interjected.

He nodded approvingly at my friend. "It's good to have friends you can count on, right?"

"R-Right," I managed, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

* * *

I tried to ignore the approving looks of other people as we got close to the busy market. Kotomi and I did look like we were a couple; both of us dressed nice, her arms wrapped around one of mine and, I noticed after a glance, a bright, happy smile on her face.

It didn't take long for us to find Tomoyo, browsing the vegetables at one of the smaller storefronts. "Sakagami-san!" Kotomi called before I could even open my mouth.

Tomoyo looked towards us with a surprised look that quickly turned subdued when she saw us. "Oh…hey," she said as we approached her.

"What're you doing out shopping if you're not feeling well?" I asked.

"I…I had to pick up a few things; is that okay?" she asked in an irritated tone.

"Sakagami-san, why are you talking like that?" Kotomi asked. "Tomoya and I were worried about you, so we went to your house to check up on you. Your brother told us you were out here, so we came looking for you."

"You what?" Tomoyo's expression changed quickly at that. "Oh. I'm, uh…I'm sorry."

"How are you feeling?" Kotomi asked. I decided to let her take over the conversation since, as a girl, she might communicate better with Tomoyo. I contented myself with studying my friends as they talked.

"I'm…better, thank you," Tomoyo replied, pushing her hair over her ear. "I took a nap after I got home from school before heading out."

Kotomi shared a puzzled look with me. "But Takafumi-san told us that you were only home for a few minutes before heading out again."

I blinked as Tomoyo flinched at the news. "He…He did? W-Well…" Without warning, her expression turned angry. "Why do you keep prying, anyway? What do you care; you get him all to yourself today! You should be happy!"

"I-I am happy to be with Tomoya," Kotomi admitted while taking a step back, "but we were both worried about you. Sakagami-san, is there something you're not telling us?"

"Yes, there is," she admitted, "but I'm not going to talk about it. Please leave me alone." Tomoyo then left us slack-jawed as she ran out of the marketplace, leaving us behind.

"Who the hell was that?" I asked, pointing in the direction our silver-haired friend had left. "She looked like Tomoyo, but…"

"I believe I understand," Kotomi said. "That was very unlike her."

I scratched my cheek with my free hand as I thought. "Well, let's just…enjoy our date, I guess. I'll try to call her this evening or something."

"All right, Tomoya," she said as she gave my arm an extra squeeze. "What would you like to do?"

* * *

" _Hello, Sakagami residence."_ From the voice, it sounded like Tomoyo's mother.

"Hi, this is Okazaki Tomoya," I said, not sure how to proceed. "May I speak with Tomoyo?"

" _Ah, Okazaki! Hello! Yes, she's here; just a minute, please."_ I heard the *tap* of the receiver being put down, then what sounded like her footsteps. I then heard what sounded like a tense conversation before someone picked up the phone again. _"She'll be with you in a minute,"_ Mom said.

"Thank you."

As I waited, I mentally prepared myself for the conversation. I really didn't understand why Tomoyo had acted so hostile toward us earlier, so I wanted to find out about that. I also wanted to invite her on a date with just the two of us since my last one had been with just Kotomi.

In the middle of my thoughts I heard the phone being picked up again. _"Hey, Tomoya. Sorry to keep you waiting."_

"Don't worry about it," I said. "Do you have time to talk to me?"

" _Yeah,"_ she said, sounding…guarded? _"I'm…assuming you want to talk about what happened earlier."_

"Yeah," I said. "You kinda surprised us with that. Are you okay? Did we piss you off or something?"

A long pause. _"Listen…are you free tomorrow?"_

"Sure," I said. "Actually, another reason I called was to see if you were up to going on a date, just the two of us."

" _Just us?"_ she asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah; it was just Kotomi and I today, so I thought it should be just you and I on the next one."

" _That…That makes sense. O-Okay, we'll meet tomorrow, then."_

"What do you want to do?"

Another long pause. _"I'll tell you when we meet, okay?"_

"A surprise, huh? That's cool," I told her. "So where do you want to meet?"

And another long pause. _"I'd…like to meet at the park near your place. Is that okay?"_

I knew where she was talking about. "Sure. What time?"

" _How about two o' clock?"_

"Sounds good," I said with a smile. "The park at two o' clock."

" _Right."_

"Cool. See you tomorrow."

After we signed off I hung up the phone with a smile as an idea came to mind…


	26. Reversal

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Reversal**

" _Ice cream?"_ Pastor Jeff asked excitedly. _"Can I come?"_

"No way!" I said, laughing. "This is supposed to be just Tomoyo and I! So you think surprising her with ice cream is a good idea?"

" _Of course!"_ he replied. _"But I have a feeling you're not just calling me about this."_

"Yeah, you're right," I admitted.

" _Is something bothering you?"_

"I don't know how to describe it, but ever since I've started dating…both of them…Tomoyo's been getting more and more upset."

" _Well of_ _course_ _she would be. How would you feel about having to share the girl you love with another guy?"_

"I get it, but I don't think that's it…or all of it. I mean, why would she skip out on a date if she's jealous?" I felt really awkward saying that; it was like I was boasting or something. "It seems like she almost feels guilty about something."

" _That's certainly possible, but what would she feel guilty about? Is she dating anyone else that you know of?"_

"No. In fact, we were talking about getting married before my…situation."

Fortunately, he picked up on my cue. _"That_ _does_ _seem odd,"_ he said. _"You know, Ichinose-san is a really smart girl; maybe Sakagami-san is intimidated by that."_

I snorted. "I can't imagine her being intimidated by anyone, but…" I trailed off as I thought back to the vulnerable girl I saw so many times during our time together. "No, I think I could see it."

" _My suggestion would be to start with the ice cream and work on building her up."_

"I'll see what I can do," I said with a sigh. "Thanks."

" _You're welcome. And if it works out, get some ice cream for your pastor, too."_

"Right…"

* * *

I took a deep breath as I entered the park, an ice cream cone in each hand. My hope was that by having a 'shared experience' as Pastor Jeff called it, I could help Tomoyo out of whatever bad mood she was in and maybe help her to talk to me about what was bothering her.

I smiled as I saw her sitting on one of the many park benches, wearing an outfit I'd never seen her wear before; it consisted of a black turtleneck-type shirt and a long, off-white skirt that covered her all the way to her ankles. She looked very…ladylike, and I liked it. "Hey."

Her gaze snapped up to me in surprise before she refocused on the cones in my hands. "Hey. Are those for us?"

"Yup!" I said as I held one out to her.

She accepted the ice cream with a small smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." I paused to lick some ice cream that was trying to escape from my cone. "Did you sleep better last night?"

"Yeah," she said, then licked at her cone. "I really was feeling sick that day, you know."

"Okay," I said. "I can't speak for Kotomi, but I was confused when you said you were sick, but then we found out you were out shopping."

"Taking care of errands like that helps me feel better," she explained. "Kinda like how a workout can be refreshing when you feel tired."

That had never been my experience, but... "Well, whatever works, I guess." I thought about her words as I continued to eat my ice cream. As I took my first bite of the cone itself I looked over to see Tomoyo staring at nothing, her unfinished ice cream starting to drip onto the ground. "Hey, you're dripping."

"Huh?" she said, blinking at me.

I gestured to her cone. "Your snack's melting."

She looked down at her hand and quickly brought her ice cream to her mouth and started licking the most dangerous parts. "Sorry, I was lost in thought," she told me between licks.

"Don't worry about it; I was spacing out, mys-oh, crud." Some of her ice cream had dripped onto her nice skirt, and I quickly pulled a napkin out of my pocket. "Here, I got it."

I dabbed at the spot as she simply stared at my hand, apparently having forgotten her snack again. "Tomoya?"

"Yeah?"

"…I can't do this anymore."

"What, the date?" I asked, finishing my cleaning job.

I felt her look at me, so I returned her gaze; our faces were so close together. "Just…everything."

"Do you want to go home?" I asked, not sure what she was talking about. "If you're bored, we can find something else to do." I blinked as I remember our conversation from yesterday. "That's right; you told me that you'd tell me what you wanted to do when we met."

"Stop it!" she yelled, drawing the attention of some people passing by. "Stop being so nice to me!"

"Huh?" Where had that come from?

"How can you be so nice to me and Ichinose?" she demanded.

"Well…You're both nice girls," I answered, not sure why she was asking. "I can be nice to more than one person at a time, can't I?"

"Yeah, but…" she waved her hands around as though miming something. "Don't you get it, Tomoya? She and I are rivals, and you're going to have to pick one of us; you can't marry both of us!"

"I know that!" I exclaimed. "That's why I didn't want to do this 'date both of you' thing in the first place! You two are the ones who came up with the idea, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," she said, calming down a bit. "Look Tomoya…. I don't know how to say this, but…I think she's better for you than I am."

I felt my stomach slide to my shoes. "What?"

She fidgeted in her seat as she absently took a bite of what was left of her ice cream. "I mean, she's hot, she's smart, her boobs are even bigger than mine…"

"You're hot, too," I said, trying to console her, even though I figured it wouldn't work.

"Thanks," she said, "but I'm not blind. Her parents were geniuses, while mine aren't. She's probably making loads of money with her research into…whatever she researches, while my great achievement is saving some trees. And her boobs…" she cupped her free hand under one of her breasts. "…I can't compare."

I would have definitely argued that last point, but I knew that it wasn't what she was really trying to get at. "Tomoyo…I really don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything," she said quietly. "Thank you for the ice cream, but…I'm bowing out."

"What do you mean, 'bowing out'?"

She looked to me with the saddest expression I'd ever seen. "It means that I'm giving up; she's the better woman, so I'm letting Ichinose win."

* * *

Pastor Jeff's expression was solemn as I told him about my time with Tomoyo. "So she gave up, thinking she wasn't good enough…what a shame."

"At least it makes my job a little easier," I said without much emotion behind it.

"Well, we all knew that someone was going to be hurt eventually," he said quietly. "Love triangles are some of the worst."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I mean, Kotomi is great girl and everything, but…I hate that it hurt Tomoyo."

"I'd be lying if I said she'll get over it," he said. "You just don't 'get over' relationships as deep as this."

"Yeah," I grunted. "I think I know what you mean; we have a history together. Is there anything I can do to help her?"

"Just…give her space for a while," he said. "If she needs you, she'll come to you. Maybe let her know that you're there for her, but that you're going to give her whatever space she needs."

"That's a good idea," I said. "Thanks."

We sat quietly for several more minutes. Of course I didn't know what the pastor was thinking about, but I was thinking about my time with Tomoyo.

"I'm, uh, going back to America for a while," he said, his voice suddenly breaking the otherwise heavy silence.

"Really?" I asked, more a statement than a question. "How long?"

"Two, maybe three weeks."

"How come?"

This answer didn't come as quickly. "I…have some things to take care of over there, some loose ends."

I had rare flash of intuition. "Does this have anything to do with Kyou?"

He sighed heavily. "Yes, but that's all I'm going to say about it."

"Okay."

Another long silence.

"Does Ichinose-san know about Sakagami-san's decision yet?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "I was on my way to talk to her when I decided to stop here first."

"How do you think she'll react?"

I pondered his question for a minute. "I think she'll be happy but sad; happy that it'll just be the two of us, but sad that Tomoyo's hurting."

"For what it's worth, I agree," he said, leaning back in his chair. "She's a…unique girl, but she strikes me as one who is very compassionate."

"Couldn't agree with you more." I said with a heavy smile.


	27. Adjustments

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Adjustments**

"I see," Kotomi said quietly after I told her about my time with Tomoyo. "That is a shame; she is a nice girl who does not deserve to be hurt."

"Neither of you deserves to be hurt, but…" I countered, "...well, like Pastor Jeff said, I couldn't marry both of you."

"I…I would not mind," she said.

"Seriously?" I stared at her for a full minute. "I don't mean to be gross, but would you really be okay with me having sex with another girl?"

"Eep!" she squeaked, her hands flying to her mouth. "I-I-I did not think of that!"

"You see?" I said as she looked down. "Even if I could marry both of you, I couldn't be close to both of you in the same way."

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh," Kotomi said.

"Huh?"

Her forehead wrinkled cutely as she thought. "It is from one of the first stories in the Old Testament. God made Adam and Eve for each other, one for one."

I'd heard some of the story from my talks with Pastor Jeff, but I'd never heard it applied before. "Yeah, I see what you mean. If that's true, it would explain why we don't have multiple wives or husbands or stuff like that."

"Indeed," she replied, her expression still sad. "I still feel bad for poor Tomoyo…"

I managed a shrug. "She's made her decision and all we can do is respect it. I'm going to make myself available for her if she needs me, but I won't hold my breath." I reached out to take her hand. "Are you going to be okay? Do you need some space, too?"

"No, no," she said, shaking her head as she gently squeezed my hand. "I do not want you away from me."

"Don't worry, Kotomi; I'm not going anywhere," I said with my best comforting smile.

She shifted in her seat. "May we talk about something else for a while?"

"Sure," I said. "Well, sort of; do you think I should start using the 'Tao of Jeet Kune Do' for my fighting training?"

"If…If Sakagami-san cannot train you anymore…" she sighed heavily. "I think you should. I am no fighter, but I can analyze your form and compare it to Lee-sensei's teachings. Have you been reading his philosophies?"

"Yeah," I said. "He was pretty amazing. His stuff's helped me to figure out how to work around my shoulder." I looked over at my childhood friend with a lopsided smile. "Well, if you're willing to help, then we could spend more time together."

Her eyes widened and she gasped as her grip on my hand tightened. "Oh, that would be wonderful! I look forward to it!"

I lifted her hand to give the back of it a kiss as I looked into her starry eyes. "Well, when should we get started?"

* * *

"Well? What do you think?" I asked while in my combat stance.

Kotomi looked from me to the book in her lap several times before answering. "Your left hand should be closer to your chin."

"Like this?"

"A little farther back."

"How about now?"

After one more glance at the book she got to her feet and made her way over to me and took hold of my hand. "Here," she said, blushing as she moved my hand to its proper place.

"This feels awkward," I said after she released my hand. "It doesn't feel natural."

"I am sorry Tomoya, but that is how it is depicted in Lee-sensei's diagram," she said, picking up the book to show me; sure enough, my hand position matched the one in the book.

"It still feels weird," I said, shaking out my hand. "I can't fight the other guy very well if I'm fighting my own body."

My new girlfriend gave me a worried look but said nothing.

"I'm sorry Kotomi, I don't mean to be a whiner," I said consolingly. "I know you're doing your best. I guess I'm just gonna have to work on my flexibility, that's all."

"I believe in you, Tomoya," she said, stepping up to me.

I let myself smile as I took my coach in my arms, gently squeezing her warm body. "Thanks, Kotomi; that means a lot to me."

My smile broadened as I felt her trembling arms wrap around me. "You are welcome, Tomoya; I…I –I love you."

* * *

I made a quick stop by the church on my way back to my apartment.

"That turned out better than I thought it would," Pastor Jeff admitted. "And I'm surprised that Ichinose-san was so willing to take on the trainer role as well."

"Yeah," I said, thinking back on our awkward time together. "She's right that she's not a fighter, though; she's gonna have to learn how to teach me, if that makes any sense."

"She's a bookworm," he noted, "and that means that she can understand the academic side of things, but when it comes to applying her knowledge, she may not be…she may be lacking."

"I think I see what you mean," I said as I remembered her attempts to get my hand in the 'right' position. "Maybe that's why Tomoyo was such an awesome trainer; she'd been in fights and could take Lee-sensei's stuff and figure out how to have me use it."

"Exactly." He paused, scratching at his cheek. "I guess you could ask her about training; if she loves you she'd probably be willing to train you…as long as Ichinose-san wasn't around."

"Which I don't think she would be comfortable with," I countered.

"Good point. Well, it's your call since it's your life," he said with a shrug. "Considering the circumstances, I think it would be okay for you to ask her about training, but be ready for her to turn you down. I really think she wouldn't, though."

I snorted. "Me neither." I shifted in my seat before getting up. "Well, I need to get home; I have work tomorrow. Thanks for your time."

"No problem," he replied, getting to his feet as well. "I really hope things work out well for you…for all three of you."

"Thank-oh, one last thing; when are you flying out? I'd like to see you off if I can."

He smiled softly. "Thank you, I really appreciate that." He sighed heavily. "I'll be taking off next Thursday on the 10 AM flight."

I thought for a moment. "I think I have that day off, but I'll check my schedule and let you know."

"Great," he said as he led me to the main doors. "I look forward to it."

* * *

Rather than stop by her house on the way home, I waited until I got to my apartment and headed for the phone to call Tomoyo.

" _Hey, Okazaki,"_ she greeted, and I cringed at her usage of my name. _"What do you want?"_

"I'm sorry if this is a bad time to ask, but I was wondering if you'd…well, if you'd still be willing to train me."

" _What?"_

"I wouldn't ask except that your old schoolmates could still come after me at any time, and I need to know if I need to find other ways. I want to give you your space, but…"

" _Okay, I get it."_ There was a long pause, and I assumed that she was thinking about her answer, if her breathing on the other end was any indication. Finally, I heard a heavy sigh. _"I'll keep training you, Tomoya, but I won't do it unless Ichinose is around; I don't want to give her any reason to not trust us."_

I was surprised. "Are you sure? I mean, I know that you and Kotomi are…or were-"

" _Yes, Tomoya, I know,"_ she said sharply. _"But I'm not going to give her any reason not to trust me. I also don't want to give her any reason to not trust you, either."_

"Thanks," I said. "Sorry; I didn't mean to rub your nose in anything."

" _I didn't think you were. But the fact still remains that I love you, and I would hate for anything bad to happen to you because I wouldn't train you."_

"Thanks," I repeated. "That…That means a lot to me." I paused to gather my thoughts. "When should we start training again?"

" _I can be at your place after school tomorrow, like usual,"_ she answered simply.

Was she serious? "You can have a few days, if you want. We don't have to-"

" _I can be at your place after school tomorrow, like usual,"_ she repeated.

"All right, all right," I exclaimed. "I give up; we'll do it your way." I sighed heavily. "I look forward to working with you again."

" _Yeah,"_ she grunted. _"I look forward to working with you, too."_


	28. Departures

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Departures**

The next day I met up with Tomoyo at Kotomi's house. Since she had farther to go, Kotomi wouldn't be with us for a bit, but we figured we could still practice in her backyard – we'd be outside, after all, so it wasn't like we were hiding or anything.

"You're getting a lot better," she remarked as I parried one of her punches. "I used to nail you with that all the time."

"What can I say? I have the best teacher," I puffed as I dodged her follow-up kick.

"Thanks," she grunted as she got back into her ready stance. "You have any plans for attacking?"

"Nah, I'm just waiting for you to wear yourself out," I said with my best cocky grin. "Seriously though, you have an awesome defense; it's really hard to get by."

"Well, you're going to have to figure something out," she said as lunged at me with another punch. "You can't expect your opponent to-OOF!"

I had ducked under her outstretched arm and, as I moved past her, delivered a swift jab to her stomach, causing her to double over. "Was that better?" I asked as I hopped away.

She gave me a wry grin as she rubbed her stomach. "Damn, you can hit like a truck. Yeah, that was pretty good. Where'd you learn that? I never taught you that."

"Saw it in one of Lee-sensei's movies and wanted to try it out," I replied, still hopping from foot to foot.

"Well, you've got the speed for it," she said approvingly. "I'll have to watch out from now on."

We had been sparring for several minutes before we realized we had an audience. "Oh, hey Kotomi," I greeted as I noticed my girlfriend seated on the back steps to her home, watching us with a small smile. "When'd you get here?"

"About ten minutes ago," she replied. Wow, I must've really been focused. "I did not wish to interrupt your training, so I prepared a snack before coming out here. I have only been sitting here for about a minute or two."

"Is it okay that we started before you got here?" Tomoyo asked. "I didn't mean to assume anything, but-"

"It is fine," Kotomi interrupted with a shake of her head. "I had offered the use of my home, so it is fine."

We resumed our training, but I noticed that Tomoyo seemed…distracted; hardly surprising, considering that her former 'rival' was watching us.

"Just forget that she's there," I said to Tomoyo as we briefly grappled, my voice barely above a whisper so Kotomi wouldn't hear me. "You don't want me getting beat up because you were distracted during training, right?"

She gazed at me for a moment, nodded, then shoved me away only to follow up with a flurry of punches. Since I was still regaining my balance I couldn't parry all of her punches and ended up taking shots to my face and chest.

"Good job!" she praised as she back off from her attack.

"Are you serious?" I complained as I righted myself. "I don't know how many times you nailed me there!"

"Six," she replied smoothly, "but considering that I threw twenty punches, you did a really good job."

"That means that you deflected seventy percent of her punches!" Kotomi exclaimed, clapping. "How exciting!"

I saw a momentary look of pain cross Tomoyo's face before she forced a smile. "Y-Yeah. That is…exciting." She turned to face me. "Well, should we call it a day? It's almost dinnertime, and I have some homework to take care of for tomorrow."

"Sure," I said. "Are you staying for dinner? We'd love to have you."

She said nothing, but stared sadly at me.

"Sakagami-san…" Kotomi said in a soft, teary voice.

"N-Not this time," Tomoyo replied in a thin voice. "I'd better get home; thanks, anyway."

Kotomi gently took my hand and gave it a squeeze as we saw our friend off from the front gate.

I just couldn't keep my eyes off of my silver-haired friend's back as she walked away, though.

* * *

Kotomi and I met up with Pastor Jeff at the airport to see him off on his flight.

Unsurprisingly, Kyou was there, too. "I…I really wish you didn't have to go." I blinked as I noticed that she had changed her hairstyle; instead of having her hair down like she's had it in school, she had it up in a ponytail with a couple of locks framing her face, one of which held her usual hair ribbon. "I'll miss you."

"I know," he said softly. "Thank you; that…means a lot to me."

"Hey, what about me?" I pretended to complain. "I won't have anyone to talk to while you're gone!"

"Tomoya, you will have me to…" Kotomi started to say before I gave her a smile and a wink. "N-Never mind," she said with a blush.

Pastor Jeff laughed as he pumped my hand several times. "I'm sure you'll be fine without me around for a couple of weeks."

We heard the boarding call for his flight, and I glanced over to see Kyou tense up.

"Well, that's my flight," he grunted, hefting a bag to his shoulder and picking up his suitcase.

"Have a safe flight," Kotomi said.

I felt a tug on my sleeve, and I looked to see Kyou apparently trying to hide the movement. "Could you and Kotomi give me a minute?" she whispered with a meaningful look.

I looked from her to Pastor Jeff and back, then smiled. "Sure." I made my way over to Kotomi, who was talking to him, and tapped her shoulder. "Hey, Kotomi? Got a minute?"

She blinked at me with her large, beautiful blue eyes. "Certainly. Excuse me, please," she said, bowing to the pastor as she let me lead her away by the hand.

After we got what I figured was a safe distance I stopped and looked back at Kyou.

"Why did you bring me here?" Kotomi asked with a puzzled look.

"I think Kyou wants some time with Pastor Jeff before he leaves," I said as I kept my eyes on my purple-haired friend.

"Ooooohhhhhh…" she breathed. "I believe I understand."

We watched as Kyou made her way up to Pastor Jeff and said something to him. He said something back, then put down his suitcase and let her take his hands. Then, they both bowed their heads.

"What are they doing?" I heard Kotomi ask.

"I'll be damned…" I said as realization washed over me. "I think Kyou's praying for him."

"What would she be praying for?"

I shrugged. "I dunno; probably for a safe trip and that he gets what he needs while he's in America."

"Ooooohhhhhh…" she breathed again. "I believe I understand."

They eventually raised their heads, and Kyou turned and waved us over so we hurried back. "Thanks, you two."

"Glad to help," I replied, then smiled at my mentor. "Have a safe trip, Pastor; I hope you get what you need."

"Thanks," he said, shaking my hand again before retrieving his suitcase. "Well…see you in a couple of weeks."

"Take care, Ashton-sensei," Kotomi said with a gentle smile.

He nodded once before turning and passing through the boarding gate to the ramp.

We followed Kyou over to the window overlooking Pastor Jeff's airplane, and I stood next to her so I could keep an eye on her. "You gonna be okay?"

She nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off of the airplane. "Yeah."

I felt Kotomi take my arm, and looked over to see her watching Kyou with compassion in her eyes. "Kyou-san…"

Starting to feel like a spectator in a tennis match, I looked back to see a tear trickle down Kyou's face so I reached out, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You sure you're gonna be okay?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes on the airplane as it was pushed from its parking space. "Yeah," she sniffed. "I trust God to take care of him; it's just…really hard…knowing he won't be here."

I smiled sympathetically. "He'll be back before you know it; then you can go back to flirting with him."

She managed a small smile in spite of the tears. "Yeah. I look forward to it."

Then, without warning, she turned and grabbed onto my girlfriend as she started to cry. "I miss him already!"

Kotomi gave me a confused look as Kyou wept, so I made a caressing gesture. She nodded before releasing my hand to awkwardly run her fingers through Kyou's hair, and I saw a small but tender smile start to form on her face as she looked down at the sobbing girl.


	29. Sento

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Sento**

I locked the door to the shop, then rotated a stiff shoulder as I turned to make my way home. It had been another busy day without the boss, and I was exhausted.

As my feet carried me to my destination, I allowed my mind to drift back over the last few weeks. A lot had happened; Tomoyo and I had decided to marry, then I got beat up and lost my memory, causing me to forget about our promise. My childhood friend Kotomi had been the main driving force behind my recovery, so of course we ended up growing a lot closer together during my lessons. Since Tomoyo had basically refused to tell me about our relationship, Kotomi and I ended up closer than we would have otherwise.

By the time Tomoyo finally decided to tell me about our previous relationship, restoring what I figured was the rest of my memory, it was too late; Kotomi and I were effectively an 'item'. Somewhere along the way the girls had decided that I would date both of them, and I figured that Kotomi was giving Tomoyo a chance to 'win me back'.

Tomoyo giving up really surprised me, though; I remembered her from school as a strong girl, so I never expected her to roll over the way she did.

While all this was going on, Kyou was apparently pursuing Pastor Jeff, my friend and mentor of sorts. I remembered meeting him at the hospital during my recovery stay, and smiled as I thought back on our conversations about…well, pretty much everything. He had some weird beliefs, but he came by them honestly, at least.

"Hey."

I snapped out of my train of thought at the familiar voice; the kid – Tanaka was his name, if I remembered correctly – leaned against a nearby wall, smoking something that smelled disgusting. "Hey," I returned.

"You doing okay?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm doing a lot better, thanks."

"Got your memories back and everything?"

"I think so."

"Yeah, sorry about that." He pushed himself off the wall, tossing his smoke to the side. "Listen, I hate to do this, but I need you to give Sakagami one more message."

All of my training with Tomoyo and the time spent reading Lee-sensei's book flooded my mind. "As long as it's verbal this time, I have no problem helping out."

He sighed with a smile as he shook his head. "Come on, you know this isn't how it works." I saw him gesture to the side, and some familiar faces started to show up. "Thugs only understand thugs. But don't worry; we'll stay far away from your head this time." He glanced over his shoulder at one of his gang, and I followed his gaze to see the kid who had talked to me before, the one who had hit me in the head. "Shiro here sucks with the bat, so he's not getting it this time."

"That's some small comfort," I said, allowing my awareness to expand; in addition to Tanaka, there were four boys in front of me, and I had to assume that there were a few behind me.

"Good," he said blowing in his hands before rubbing them together. "Let's make this quick, then. Oh, and…I got nothing against you, it's just that Sakagami put my older brother in the hospital a couple of years ago, and I know I can't pay her back directly, so…" He shrugged, and-

My body moved on its own, ducking down as I suddenly felt danger from behind. I straightened just as quickly to see Tanaka holding his hand over his nose.

"Shit!" he grunted. "Have you been training or something?"

I didn't answer; I didn't want to lose focus at a time like this.

He uttered a few more curse words as he gestured to me with his free hand, and the boys on either side of him started to approach me. I sent a silent request to Pastor Jeff's god for…something. Anything.

I knew they couldn't all attack me at once, and I ducked as the first one took a swing at me, jabbing him in the stomach. My path took me toward one of the others, so I changed my angle and slammed into him with my good shoulder, knocking him back several feet in to the wall behind him. I then turned back to see the one I had jabbed bent over and clutching his stomach, so I kicked him in the butt, sending him the rest of the way to the ground.

My warning signal went off again, and I ducked again, this time driving an elbow back into the stomach of another kid. He doubled over, putting his head just over my shoulder, so I looped my arm around his neck and threw him judo-style over me onto his back; hopefully the ground wasn't too hard.

I held that position, kneeling on one knee with my hands in ready positions as I watched the remaining members of Tanaka's 'gang' look at each other with worried expressions.

One of them suddenly got a fierce expression and drove his fist into his hand before charging at me. I readied myself to throw him when he suddenly flew sideways, slamming into a group of nearby dustbins. "What the-?"

"I heard that someone has a message for me," Tomoyo said smoothly as she casually flipped her silver lengths. "Well, here I am."

I unconsciously glanced over at Tanaka, who was no longer holding his nose, allowing a trickle of blood to flow from it. "Y-You…"

"Yeah; m-me," she said, copying his stutter. "Now, what do you want? Are you here to get revenge for me beating up your brother?"

"Y-Yeah…" he replied, suddenly unsure of himself. "Y-You put him in the hospital for a long time, s-so…"

"I'm sorry," Tomoyo interrupted.

"Huh?"

"I was wrong to do that to your brother, and I apologize," she said, bowing deeply. "I know it won't give him back the time he lost, but it's all I can offer."

"Wh-Why…?"

"What he did was wrong, but what I did to him was excessive and didn't fit his crime," she said, still bowing. "Please forgive me for dishonoring him and your family."

I looked from Tomoyo to Tanaka to find him in open-mouthed shock. "Y-You can't apologize! I have to fight you!"

"What good would that do?" I asked, moving next to Tomoyo as she straightened. "She'd likely thrash you and your friends; you and I both know that."

I watched as the poor, frustrated kid worked his jaw. ""But...But…"

"You've been waiting for this chance for a long time," I said sympathetically. "And she's taking it away from you by apologizing."

"Nii-san couldn't talk right for weeks…"

"And that must've been hard," I said, starting to feel pity for his situation. "But even if you could beat up Tomoyo, what good would that do?" I gestured over at the former delinquent next to me. "She's not that kind of person anymore. She cares about others, and cares deeply about them."

"And because of that, I have nightmares about all the people I've hurt, even if they did deserve it," she added. "That's why I'm asking you to forgive me."

"Let it go," Shiro said, resting his hand on Tanaka's shoulder. "You'd be beating up the wrong person, anyway; she's not here anymore."

"I think it's really great that you have such a strong sense of justice," I said, "but if you were to beat her up, you'd be becoming the person she used to be…and the person you hate."

His eyes widened. "Shit…you're right." His eyes started darting around wildly. "I don't want to be that! I don't! I have to go! I have to go!" He turned to run down a nearby alley.

"Shiro," I called, stopping the teenager as he started after his friend. "Thanks. Take good care of him."

He gave me a smile and a thumbs-up before dashing into the alley after his friend.

As he left I looked over at Tomoyo. "I think I could've handled them this time, but I'm glad you-"

POW!

I staggered from the blow to my chest. It didn't hurt much, but it did knock the wind out of me. "T-Tomoyo?"

She whirled on me with fury and tears in her eyes. "How could you?!" she yelled, and I had to duck to avoid the roundhouse kick she sent my way.

"What do you mean?" I gasped, still trying to catch my breath.

"You and me…and…" I couldn't understand her next words as she lunged at me, and my training and studies kicked in, spinning me to the side as she dashed past with another punch.

"And what?" I asked, my evasion training being pushed to its limit as she came after me over and over again. "What's wrong?"

She cried out as she threw punch after punch after kick, and I found myself glad that I had done all the self-study of Lee-sensei's book that I had. "Tomoyo, stop! If you have a problem with me, I want to work it out!"

As we went on, however, I noticed that her blows were getting sloppy and lacked the force that they'd had, and I realized what the problem was; us.

I continued to parry and dodge as I thought back on our relationship, from seeing her beat up the delinquents in school to breaking up with her to stop keeping her back, from getting together again in December to losing my memories in the fight, and I finally figured it out: she needed me.

She threw another punch at my head, and I ducked to the side and stepped into her, bringing us face-to-face, and I kissed her. I could feel the heat coming from her and taste the salt of her tears as my lips touched hers, and I could hear and feel her gasp at the touch.

She shoved me away, sending us both stumbling several steps away from each other. "Wh-What are you doing?" she demanded, clearly winded.

"What's it look like?" I replied, breathing heavily as well. "I kissed you."

"I know that!" she barked, apparently not remembering her question. "But…why?"

Why had I kissed her? I already knew that she loved me, so was it to get her to stop attacking me? It had worked, but…

If it wasn't to test her feelings, then was it to test…? "Tomoyo, I'm done fighting you. I have some thinking to do. I'm sorry for upsetting you. Please excuse me." Without giving her a chance to respond, I walked past her and went home, not even looking back.

I had a lot of thinking to do.


	30. A Long Day

**Chapter Thirty: A Long Day**

I opened the door to my apartment to find Kotomi sitting at the kotatsu, reading. She looked up and smiled when she saw me. "Tomoya! Welcome home!"

I studied her as I slipped off my shoes and slid into my slippers. Something about her seemed…different.

No, it was me; something was different about me. "Thanks, Kotomi," I said as I made my way over to the kotatsu and plopped myself down to pinch the bridge of my nose.

I heard her gasp, drawing my attention. "Tomoya, you're bleeding!"

"Where?" I checked myself the best I could but didn't find anything.

She quickly grabbed a tissue and gently pressed it to my temple. When she pulled it away, I could see a rather large red spot on it. "It looks like it is from your ear," she said with worry in her tone. "What happened?"

I sighed heavily. "I got into a couple of fights on the way home. I'll be fine."

She said nothing, but I could feel her gaze on me as I grabbed a napkin to finish the job. While I worked I thought about my relationship with her. She was a nice girl and my friend from a long time ago, sure, but…

I pulled myself to my feet and moved to her to hold out my hands. She took them with a puzzled expression but let me help her to her feet. I studied her face as she blinked back at me, and my eyes settled on her lips. I'd kissed those lips many times, but I'd always felt like…like…like I had to hold myself back. So I drew her into my arms, capturing her lips with mine.

She gasped through her nose at the sudden contact, but wrapped her arms around me as she gave in to the kiss.

Not satisfied with just the kiss, I let my old memories and habits return, and my hand slid up between us to cup one of her breasts.

Her response was immediate; she pushed away, gasping as she crossed her arms over her chest. "T-Tomoya! What are you doing?"

I stared at her with a feeling of…of separation; Tomoyo didn't seem to mind if I grabbed her like that, but Kotomi did. Of course she did; my childhood friend had grown into a lady, and ladies didn't allow their breasts to be touched, let alone grabbed. Tomoyo, on the other hand, was more… rough-and-tumble, which was probably why she didn't seem to mind.

In the end it wasn't about breasts, but about…the differences between worlds.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing, and remembered that I had conked out on the floor after seeing Kotomi off with an apology for my behavior. I stumbled over to the phone and picked it up as I scratched my head. "Hello, this is Okazaki speaking."

" _Tomoya-san?"_

"Pastor!" Had it been two weeks already? "You're back in Japan?"

" _Two nights ago, actually,"_ he replied. _"I thought I'd call and let you know, now that I'm over the jet lag."_

I chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard that that can really take it out of you."

" _No kidding."_ There was a long pause, then: _"You okay, Tomoya? It might be the line, but you sound…tense."_

"It has been kinda rough lately," I admitted.

" _Do you want to talk about it? I can be there in about fifteen minutes."_

I scratched my head again. "Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea. I need someone to bounce some thoughts off of. But let me come there; I need a change of scenery, anyway."

After making the arrangements I splashed cold water on my face, brushed my teeth to get rid of the smell, then grabbed my coat and headed out the door. As I walked I thought about my last interaction with Kotomi. I felt bad about touching her like that, of course, but only because she didn't seem to like it. But that kind of touching had become second-nature to me. Tomoyo used to give me crap about it, but never seriously tried to stop me. Looking back, I think she kinda liked the attention.

Kotomi, however, was raised more refined. I couldn't remember much about her parents, but I did remember them as being higher-class people than my dad and I. Of course; since they were high-caliber scientists, they would be around higher-class people. Because of this, Kotomi was a high-class girl while I…I was nowhere near high-class. People like Tomoyo and I weren't bad people; we just weren't like the Ichinoses. Shoot, Tomoyo and I were both reforming delinquents; Tomoyo may have been further along, but even she knew that she had a long way to go before she became the kind of girl she wanted to be.

I paused my musings as I headed up to the main doors of the church and knocked. About a minute later, the door opened and Pastor Jeff appeared. "Hey, Tomoya-san! Come in, come in!" he said, stepping to the side.

"Thanks," I said as I passed him into the church.

I followed him to the office, where he settled into his usual spot behind the desk and I took one of the seats across from him. "So, what's up?" he asked as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk.

"I'm not sure," I said. "This might sound weird, but I kissed Kotomi earlier, and…"

"And…?" he prompted after waiting. "Last I knew, you two were exclusive, so…what's the problem?"

"Well…I didn't just kiss her-wait!" I interrupted as he turned white as a sheet. "We didn't have sex or anything! I just…touched her boob."

He blinked as he leaned back in his chair. "Oooookay. I'm not sure what to say to that."

"Just hear me out, and I think it'll make more sense, okay?"

He blinked again, appearing to regain his composure. "Fair enough, but I have to let you know that, to the best of my knowledge, God didn't create Ichinose-san to be your personal plaything."

"Understood," I replied. "But…she didn't react well to it; she covered her chest and asked me what I thought I was doing."

I could tell he wanted to say something, but kept quiet.

"Her reaction got me thinking; I'm not sure I'm the right kind of guy for her. I mean, she's all refined and ladylike, and…well…I'm hardly what you'd call a 'gentleman'."

"I think I understand," he said. "You've grown in one direction while she's grown in another."

"Yeah."

"Would you say you've grown apart?"

I had to think about that for a minute. "I…don't think so. I still like her 'cause she's a neat girl; I guess I like her innocence." I shook my head. "Damn, I hope I didn't take that away from her."

"That she reacted the way she did tells me that she's still innocent enough," he remarked.

"I hope so."

"Did you apologize for your actions?"

"Yeah. I shouldn't have done that to her; she deserves to be treated better than that."

"That's good." We were quiet for a couple of minutes before he spoke again. "So, what are you going to do? How can I help you?"

I sighed heavily. "I'm not sure. Part of me thinks I should break up with Kotomi, set her free to find a better man…but part of me wants to hold on to her."

"Why is that? Why do you want to hold on to her, that is?"

I sighed again. "I'm not sure."

"Then tell me what you think it is, and we'll go from there," he offered gently.

I mulled over his suggestion. "Well, let's see…I feel like I've burned my bridges with Tomoyo, so she'd never take me back…"

"How certain are you of this?"

"She and I ended up fighting earlier today. I mean, like a fist fight."

His eyebrows jumped but he said nothing.

"Yeah. She seemed mad and sad at the same time. I'm sure she was hurting, and I'm sure that I'm the reason she was hurting."

"Are you afraid of being alone?" His tone wasn't mocking or condescending, it was…sympathetic.

I needed a minute to think about his question. Finally, I answered: "Yeah, I think so."

"Is Ichinose-san supposed to be a replacement for Sakagami-san?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so. See, I spent a lot more time with Kotomi during my recovery than I did with Tomoyo, so…between that and our past as childhood friends, I think we just ended up growing close. The problem is that…well…I'm a little too rough around the edges for her."

"Hence the 'claiming of the fruit'," he suggested.

I didn't understand the metaphor, but I figured he was referring to my grabbing Kotomi's breast. "Something like that, yeah."

He steepled his fingers as he looked toward the ceiling. "Did you ever touch Sakagami-san that way?"

"Last year, a few times," I admitted. "She called me a pervert, but she never really tried to stop me."

"Hm." He rocked in his seat as he continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Pastor? Sorry if this stuff bothers you."

"It does, but I think I'm starting to see the bigger picture, here." He switched his gaze back to me as he leaned forward in his chair again. "I get the impression that you and Sakagami-san are 'kindred spirits', while your relationship with Ichinose-san is based on ten-year-old memories."

I mulled this over. "That…sounds about right. I hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah."

"If that's the case, then perhaps you should let Ichinose-san go, try to go back to being friends if you can."

I blew air noisily between my lips. "That'd be hard; she's a nice girl who's my friend, and I'd hate to hurt her."

"Well," he said steepling his fingers again, "the way I see it, you have a choice; either hurt her for a short while now, or let this go on and potentially marry someone you don't feel a particularly strong connection with. Your choice."

No pressure.


	31. Status Changes

**Chapter Thirty-One: Status Changes**

Kotomi and I went on several more dates, but I was really feeling like things weren't going anywhere. Ever since the 'breast-grabbing' incident I had slowly started to realize that we just weren't a good fit. I was grateful to her for tutoring me, and she was a really nice girl, but…

"Tomoya, do you not like your milkshake?" she asked, an echo of a date from several weeks prior.

"It's fine," I grunted, not really feeling like being out. "Listen, does it still bother you that I did what I did a while ago?"

Fortunately, I didn't have to explain what I was talking about, as her expression darkened a little. "Only when I think about it," she replied, looking away. "You apologized and I accepted, so I am content to leave it in the past."

That warmed my heart a little, but didn't change how I felt overall, and it had my stomach in knots, ruining my appetite. "I can't finish this," I said, pushing my dessert away. "Let me know when you're done, and we'll go."

She also pushed her milkshake away. "I cannot eat when I know that we are having challenges. Let us go."

I paid for our meals and we headed out into the fall air.

"The leaves are pretty, are they not?" she said as she slid her hand into mine. "All the reds and yellows…"

I looked down at our clasped hands and felt a sort of nausea, a feeling that things really weren't right, and pulled my hand from hers.

"Tomoya?"

"I'm sorry, Kotomi, I just can't…" I bit my lip as I searched for the right words. "I don't think this is going to work."

"What is?"

"Us."

She smiled heavily, sadness in her eyes. "I know."

Wait, what? "You…You know?"

She nodded with her gaze to the ground between us. "After you touched me the way you did, I realized that I may not be the right kind of girl for you. I read many books on the matter of relationships and the dynamics between men and women, and I realized…" a tear dripped to the ground. "I am not good enough for you."

"NO!" I cried. "You're wrong, Kotomi! I'm not good enough for you! You're really smart and you came from high-class parents, and…" I shrugged. "I'm not high-class; I'm a delinquent who's still trying to overcome his old self. You have so much potential, but I…" I couldn't face her; I had to turn my back to her. "It'd take me a lifetime to become half as good as you are."

"That is not true," I heard her say in a husky, teary, voice. "You are wonderful, Tomoya, just in your own way."

At her words, I turned back to face her; her face was a teary mess as she looked at me, her cheeks were red, and her lower lip was quivering. "Thanks, Kotomi." I forced myself to look her in the eye. "Thank you for dating someone like me. I wish you the best, and I'm sorry that I couldn't be the best for you. I sincerely hope you find someone better suited to you than me."

She managed a weak smile. "Thank you. Th-Thank you for dating someone like me, and I hope that you and Sakagami-san h-have a wonderful life together."

"Tomoyo?" I grimaced. "I think she's had enough of me, but anyway…"

We stood there for several minutes, awkwardly glancing at each other. I wasn't sure what to say and, I guess, neither was she.

"Well, can I walk you home?" I asked. "I don't think it would be right to just bail on you here."

She blinked, causing more tears to trickle down her cheeks. "That would be wonderful."

She took my arm, and we started toward her place. Neither of us said anything on the way. I supposed that we'd said everything we needed to. Oddly enough, I felt at peace about what had just happened, and I found myself wishing for the same peace for my friend…assuming she still wanted to be my friend after this.

We stopped in front of the gate to her home, and she released my arm to open it. Before stepping past the entrance to her property she paused and looked over her shoulder at me. Feeling awkward, all I could do was wave somewhat lamely.

Another tear leaked from her eye, and she released the gate to hurry up and throw her arms around me. It took me a few moments to realize what had happened, and then I carefully wrapped my arms around my childhood friend and cried along with her.

* * *

Talking with Pastor Jeff had become something of a habit after emotionally charged situations like this, so it wasn't long before I sat across his desk from him, spilling my guts yet again. "…and then we hugged one last time, and she went inside her house. And, just like that," I said, spreading my hands, "our dating relationship was over."

He stared at me for several seconds, causing me to wonder what he was thinking. Finally, he spoke: "Part of me wants to say 'I'm sorry you had to go though that', but another part of me is glad you did what you did." He crossed his arms as he leaned back in his seat. "How do you feel right now?"

"Tired, mainly," I grunted, and he chuckled along with me. "But I think I know what you're asking." I sighed heavily. "You know, it sounds strange to me, but I feel…peace."

"Sounds like you did the right thing, then," he said. "From the sounds of it, you two were good friends…and might still be good friends, if you're both willing."

"I'd like that," I said, nodding. "She's been a good influence on me, but I get that that's not enough for a marriage."

"It helps, but you're right; it's not enough."

"Yeah…"

"So…what are you going to do now?"

I shook my head, at a loss. "I'm not sure; I feel like my whole life's been turned upside-down, so I don't know what I can count on."

"Fair enough. Well, what would you like to do, then?"

I had to give his question some serious thought. "I'd like to continue to have Kotomi tutor me, if she's willing. I'd also like Tomoyo to keep teaching me how to fight; I feel like I have a long way to go."

"Those are laudable goals. Do you think they could happen?"

"I doubt it," I said with another heavy sigh. "I think I burned my bridges with Tomoyo, and with Kotomi and I breaking up…? I mean, we parted on good terms, but…"

"I'm sure she'll need time to grieve," he suggested, "but you two have a history together, so I think that in the long run, you two will be fine."

"I hope so," I said. "I'd hate to lose her over this. Weird as it sounds, I really do love her, so I want what's best for her."

"And you're not it?" he asked with a knowing smile.

I couldn't help but return it. "No, pastor, I'm not it. But I'm okay with that."

Just then, the side door opened, and I was surprised to see Kyou poke her head into the room. "Hey honey, lunch is ready, and-Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you had…" she trailed off as she saw me. "H-Hi, Tomoya."

"'Honey'?" I repeated, looking from a blushing Kyou to a blushing Pastor Jeff and back. "Are you two…?"

"We are," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "I was planning on telling you, but figured today wouldn't work."

"What happened, Tomoya?" she asked with a worried look.

"Kyou, he's my guest, and it's not appropriate to-"

"It's fine," I told him. "She and I have a shared history, so it's cool." Turning to Kyou I said, "Kotomi and I broke up earlier today, and I was just using Pastor Jeff to decompress."

"Hey!" he protested, but his smile told me he wasn't really offended.

"Oh, Tomoya, I'm so sorry," she said with a sympathetic look. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said. "I'm more worried about Kotomi, even though she also seemed to think that breaking up was a good idea."

"She's a sweet girl," Kyou said, surprising me; I was so used to her being gruff and occasionally nasty. "I'm sure she'll be fine. After all, I'm sure you let her down gently, right?"

"As best as I could," I said. "She seemed to take it well and, like I said, she agreed that we weren't a good match." I gave them my best evil grin. "So…what about you two?"

Pastor Jeff looked to Kyou, who simply smiled at him. "You tell him; I'll wait for you at the table."

"I'll be there shortly, love. Thank you," he said. As she closed the door he took a deep breath as he faced me. "Well, I'll bet this is a bit of a surprise."

"No kidding. What happened?"

"Of course you remember when I went back to America, right?"

"Of course."

He leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table. "I went back to…well, to talk with my mentor, Pastor Hamilton, about a few things, theological and otherwise. I also went back to…to visit my late wife's grave."

My jaw dropped. "I didn't know Christians prayed to the dead?"

"We don't," he said, shaking his head, "but we don't lose our connection to others just because we become Christian; in fact, it becomes stronger in a way. We were never meant to taste death," he said, his eyes losing focus. "Even after the fall, humans had life spans that lasted hundreds of years, so we were probably supposed to live forever. In fact, we will; now it's just whether we'll spend eternity with him or…away from him." He blinked, apparently snapping out of his reverie. "Sorry about that; I went 'Full-Pastor' there, didn't I?"

"It's fine," I said with a smile. "You give me stuff to think about."

"Anyway, Pastor Hamilton and I have always disagreed when it came to remarriage after the death of a spouse…at least, until Jessica died." He sat back in his chair as he folded his arms. "Even since meeting Kyou, I'd been feeling this 'push' to remarry, so I went back to America to try to get some answers, find some closure."

"Did you?"

"I sure did," he said with a gentle smile. "Pastor H had changed his mind while I've been here in Japan, and he wholeheartedly supports me remarrying."

"I'm happy for you, Pastor, really," I said. "I'm glad you told me; I need some good news with the way things have gone lately."

"Glad to be of service," he said as he rose to his feet. "Now, I'll have to ask you to forgive me; my love has made a wonderful meal for me, and I have every intention of enjoying it with her along with her company."

"No problem," I said, then stuck out my hand. "Congratulations, to the both of you."

He smiled broadly as we shook hands. "Thank you, Tomoya-san; that means a lot to me."


	32. Looking Up

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Looking Up**

My steps felt heavy as I headed for home, not because of any sad feelings but because of how tired I was feeling. It was weird, really; I felt heavy and light at the same time, and I figured that it was because breaking up with Kotomi was hard, but it was also freeing, like a weight had been taken off of my shoulders. And in a sense it had; now she didn't have to worry about me making her uncomfortable, and I didn't have to worry about making her uncomfortable. Hopefully we could go back to being friends again.

"Hey."

I cringed at the familiar voice, and looked up from my musings to see Shiro walking up to me. "Hey," I replied. "What'cha need?"

He looked around before speaking again. "You got a minute?"

"Sure," I sighed. "Sorry, it's kinda been a long day, but…sure."

"Thanks," he said. "Thing is, my kid brother's starting to hang around some rough kids at school, and…well…I don't want him to end up like me."

"Like you?" I asked, puzzled. "What do you mean you don't want him to end up like you?"

He tapped at the ground with his toe. "Well, I don't want him to end up following some jerk-off and beating people up just because he's afraid of being made fun of."

"Or beat up in their place," I suggested.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I can see why you'd be worried," I said, feeling for the kid. "Good for you for wanting to be a good nii-san."

"Thanks."

I wracked my brain for an answer. I didn't know why he thought I'd be a reliable source of guidance, but I still wanted to do the best I could for him. "Well…the only thing I could think of is trying to be the kind of guy you want him to be, to…model it for him."

His tapping slowed. "Yeah…it's kinda scary, though."

"I'll bet; I graduated just last year, so I remember what it was like."

"Did you ever get in fights?"

I internally cringed as I remembered the huge fight that Tomoyo and I got into with a bunch of delinquents from Shiro's school. "Y-Yeah…a couple."

"Did you win?"

"Sort of," I admitted. "I fought alongside Tomoyo when a bunch of kids from…your school…came to fight her."

"Oh," he said in a subdued tone. "I see."

I had a sudden sinking feeling. "You weren't with them, were you?"

"No way!" he nearly shouted. "Tanaka was there, but I told him I wouldn't go when he tried to talk me into it."

I blinked. "See? You can stand up to him when you want to."

"Hey, you're right…" he said, a smile starting to spread across his face. "I guess I can, huh?"

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Sure looks like it." I then had to stifle a yawn. "Hey, I'm sorry, but I'm exhausted; it's been a long day and I need to get home."

"Oh, sorry!" he yelped.

"Don't worry about it. Like I told you before, you can visit me at work and we can talk while I work."

"Thanks."

"If you need to talk to someone right now, you could try Pastor Jeff at Glory to God Church," I said, pointing behind me. "He's given me good advice, helped me with my problems."

"I'll…think about it," he said. "I haven't been to a temple in so long, that…"

"He won't mind, if you're worried about that," I offered. "Anyway, it's up to you if you go see him or not."

"Got it." He stepped back and BOWED TO ME?! "Thanks a lot, sensei. Have a great day!"

"Thanks," I said, feeling quite awkward. "You too."

* * *

The following Saturday found me laying on the floor next to the kotatsu, reading a manga, when I heard a knock at the door. "Just a minute, please," I said. My muscles ached a bit as I got to my feet, headed to the door, and opened it to find: "K-Kotomi?"

"Good morning, Tomoya," she greeted with a small bow. "Have I come at a bad time?"

"No, not at all!" I said, quickly smoothing my hair with a hand. "What can I do for you?"

She ducked her head meekly, the way she had so many times during our times together. "M-May I come in?"

"Um, sure," I said, stepping aside to let her in. "Can I get you some tea?"

"No, thank you," she said, shaking her head. "I will not keep you for long."

"Well, have a seat," I said, gesturing to the other side of the kotatsu.

She sat and studied me for what seemed like an eternity. "I…I was hoping you would allow me to continue to tutor you."

My jaw nearly hit the floor. "Wh-What?"

"I miss our times together," she said. "Even though we are no longer in a…dating relationship, I would like to believe that we are still friends."

"I'd…really like that, too," I admitted, then chuckled. "I've been worried that you wouldn't want to have anything to do with me."

"Oh, no!" she gasped. "I could never give up on you! As far as I am concerned, we will be friends forever!"

The warmth that had started in my heart started to spread to my limbs. "I'd…like that a lot."

"Then it is settled," she declared. "Okazaki Tomoya and Ichinose Kotomi will be friends forever."

"Sounds good," I said with a smile that I actually felt; the first one in what seemed like a long time.

She returned my smile, but it faded as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I…How…Have you talked with Sakagami-san lately?"

"No, I haven't," I said heavily. "I'm not sure how to approach her, to be honest. I don't think I told you this, but…do you remember the fights I got into a while back? The ones that bloodied my ear?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well…" I rubbed the back of my neck, not knowing how she would react to the revelation. "My second fight…was with Tomoyo."

Her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. "I-Indeed?!"

"I had just beat up some of the guys who were still trying to use me to get at Tomoyo when she showed up and apologized for something she did a long time ago. After they left she attacked me without any warning or anything." I could see tears pooling in her eyes as I continued. "I spent the whole time parrying and dodging her attacks until…" I trailed off as I remembered what I had done to stop the fight. "…until we stopped fighting."

"T-Tomoya," she shuddered, "you are not telling me everything, are you?"

I sighed; this was going to be awkward. "You're right; I'm not."

"What...What happened? How did the fight stop?"

"She…I…Well…I…kissed her," I confessed, hanging my head.

I heard her gasp again, and I imagined her hands flying to her mouth. "K-K-Kissed her?"

"I'm sorry, Kotomi," I said. "It was during that fight that I realized that the two of us weren't a good mix."

She swallowed several times, apparently trying not to cry. "I…forgive you, Tomoya. I wish I had realized our mismatch sooner."

"I really am sorry, Kotomi," I repeated. "I didn't mean to disrespect you."

"I believe I understand," she said. She then appeared to set her jaw. "Well, now we will have to make sure you and Sakagami-san get back together."

My jaw nearly hit the floor for the second time in the conversation. "K-Kotomi?!"

"You and Sakagami-san are meant for each other, so it is not right that there is this gulf between you." She nodded with conviction. "I will do everything in my power to help you. After all, you are my best friend, I love you, and I want the best for you."

I was touched and humbled as the same time. "Th-Thanks, K-Kotomi."

"You are quite welcome," she said smoothly. "Oh! I just realized that you never answered my question!"

"About what?"

She sat up perfectly straight. "About tutoring you. You are capable of so much more, Tomoya; I can see it. We will fill your head with knowledge and help you get employment better suited to your true capabilities, and then Sakagami-san will not know what hit her!"

I couldn't help it; I laughed at her use of slang. "Hit her, huh? I look forward to it." I backed away from the kotatsu to touch my forehead to the floor in a bow. "I look forward to studying under you, sensei. Please take good care of me."

"Oh, Tomoya," she giggled. "I will, but please be patient with me." She stuck out her hand, pinky extended. "Friends forever…Tomoya-kun?

I chuckled as I linked my pinky with hers. "Friends forever…Kotomi-chan."


	33. The Last Step

**Chapter Thirty-Three: The Last Step**

I pulled up my collar as a breeze blew the cold air of winter across my neck. The snow had been falling for the last several days, so the ground was covered in a beautiful white blanket of snow. I checked my watch to see that school would be out in about five more minutes, so I decided to let my mind wander until the bell went off.

The last three months had been intense; in her zeal to make me the 'ideal man', Kotomi had me studying nearly every waking minute that I wasn't working. Since Tomoyo had effectively disappeared after our fight, my childhood friend had plenty of time to fill my head with knowledge. As I learned from her I had realized that knowledge alone wouldn't be enough, so Pastor Jeff made himself available to teach me how to think – not _what_ to think but _how_ to think – and I gained many insights about life and reality and the like. Meanwhile, my time at work was getting fuller by the day due to kids – high-schoolers and middle-schoolers – showing up to talk with me about life; apparently Shiro had been talking to his schoolmates about me.

All this led me to my new job as a youth counselor. I had just started it, and it was only on weekends, and it was on a trial basis, but it gave me the chance to help keep kids from turning into…well, Tanaka or Tomoyo or me. It actually felt pretty good becoming a 'nii-san' to kids, and I hoped to become a positive influence in their lives. There was just one more thing I needed to take care of, and life would be _perfect_.

The final bell for school rang, and I could feel my pulse quicken at what I was about to do. Soon, she would be coming down that hill for winter break, and I needed to be ready. I took several deep breaths, my exhalations adding to the light fog in the area, and I could feel my nerves calm and my body start to relax.

I blew into my hands several times as I watched the students pass, and I smiled as I thought back to when I was one of those students, walking home from a boring day of classes to head home, change and hightail it to Sunohara's dorm room. I hadn't spoken with him since graduation, so I didn't know how he was doing, and I felt a little guilty for not at least trying to call him.

"Ah, Tomoya-san!" I snapped out of my reverie to a vaguely familiar face. "What are you doing here? You graduated last year, didn't you?"

"I…did," I said, desperately trying to recall a name, but failed. "I'm sorry; I know that we've met, but I can't remember your name."

She giggled softly, creating an interesting pattern of clouds before her. "That's okay, we only talked a few times. I'm Miyazawa Yukine, and we met in the Reference Room."

"That's right!" I exclaimed, snapping my fingers. "You had the spell book and the coffee!"

"That's me," she replied, giggling again. "If…If you don't mind me asking: What are you doing here?"

"I'm…waiting for a friend," I said, not wanted to blab the whole reason.

"Who is it? I could go let him know you're waiting."

"No, thanks," I said, almost letting the sex of the 'friend' slip. "It's a surprise."

"Ah, I see," she said. "Surprises are so much fun, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they can be," I replied, wishing she would go away while feeling guilty for wishing that.

She took a step closer, putting herself too close for comfort. "Well, I know you're not a student anymore, but if you have the time, feel free to stop by the Reference Room and I'll make coffee for you. Maybe a rice omelet as well."

"I-I'll keep that in mind," I stammered. Was she hitting on me? "M-My days are pretty busy, but I'll see what I can do."

"I look forward to it," she replied as she appeared to give me a once-over. "See you later."

I watched as she continued down the hill and shivered…but not from the cold. I slapped my cheeks a couple of times as I turned back to watch the school. A few students stopped to say 'hi' to me, ones that I knew from 'counseling' visits to my workplace.

Finally, a familiar head of silver hair appeared at the top of the hill; Tomoyo walked with a group of girls along with a couple of guys, and I assumed that they were the members of the student council. She froze when she saw me, and I lifted my hand in greeting as I gave her a smile.

Her group was apparently forgotten as she slowly walked up to me with wide eyes to match her astonished expression. "H-Hi."

"Hi," I said warmly. "It's been a long time."

She simply nodded as she stopped before me and stared up at my face, and I smiled inwardly as I realized that she was wearing the same coat she had worn the winter prior, when she and I had gotten back together. An interesting parallel.

"How have you been?" I asked.

"F-Fine," she answered, still staring.

I saw out of the corner of my eye that her group seemed to take the hint and went on without her. "Good. You're getting close to graduation, aren't you? Are you nervous?"

She nodded as she continued to study my face.

Then came the hard part: "You know that Kotomi and I broke up, right?"

Another nod. "I'd heard something about it, yeah."

"Do you know why we broke up?"

A slow shake of the head.

"Because we weren't right for each other," I answered. "Do you understand what that means?"

"N-No."

I carefully reached out to lay my hand against her cheek, and I felt her twitch at my touch. "It means that I finally got smart."

"I-I'm h-happy for you," she stammered, "but why are you touching my face?"

"Because Kotomi has been teaching me for the last three months almost nonstop, Pastor Jeff has also been stuffing my head as full of wisdom as he can, and all to get me ready."

"F-For what?"

I looked her directly in the eyes. "To come and reclaim my fiancée."

I could feel her start to tremble under my hand. "B-But why? I hit you."

"Once, yes."

"I'm not very girly like Ichinose is."

"I don't care."

"I talk like a boy."

"Kotomi would be willing to help you, if you want."

"But…But why? She wanted you for herself!" she exclaimed, her voice shaky as she stamped her foot.

"And she has me…just as a best friend, now," I said softly. "She'd like to be your friend, too, if you'll let her."

"What if…What if I don't want to be your wife?"

"Then I'd say you're lying to yourself," I said as I stepped even closer while keeping my hand against her face.

"L-Lying?"

"Yes," I said as I brought my face closer to hers; she didn't even try to get away. "You're just beating yourself up from trying to beat me up; you can stop that, now."

"I...I am not," she protested, and our faces were close enough that I could feel her breath shuddering against me.

"You are," I insisted softly, "but that's okay, because I'll forgive you as many times as you need me to."

"Please…stop…"

"Do you really want me to stop?" By this point our lips were mere millimeters from each other. "I will stop if you want me to."

A choked sob was the only warning I received before she threw herself at me, mashing her lips against mine as her tears flowed. Mine flowed as well; after all, I wasn't completely certain that she would still want me.

She broke the kiss only to throw her arms around me, crying as she held me tightly – but not too tightly, fortunately. "Tomoya! TOMOYA!"

"It's okay," I reassured her with a shaky voice. "I'm here, I'm here…"

It felt good having the missing part of myself back.

* * *

We held hands as we walked quietly down the snow-covered road. Even though so many people had walked through here already, the continuing snowfall covered up the tracks in record time.

"I…I was afraid I'd never see you again," she said, breaking the silence.

"Same here," I replied. "I was starting to feel like I was living one of those romance anime…and I don't even watch anime."

She snorted behind her hand and my god I missed that sound. "I'm just glad the series is over."

"Me too," I chuckled. "No more drama for me, thanks."

"I…I heard from Takafumi that you're helping kids with their problems," she said quietly.

"I kinda got thrust into the position," I admitted. "Shiro – the kid who hit me in the head – he was…well, you could say he was my first client."

"You finally get to be a big brother, huh?" she remarked. "That's really cool. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. I'm much smarter than I used to be. Wiser, too. The only thing I was missing was…" I gave her hand a squeeze. "…the perfect girl."

She blushed, but still let me draw her into my arms for a kiss that spoke of future promises.


	34. Nii-san

**Epilogue: Nii-san**

"Thanks, Nii-san," Hiroki said as we got up from the park bench. "Now I know what I need to do. It won't be easy to talk to Mom and Dad about this, but…"

"Just remember that your name means 'abundant strength' and I think you'll be fine," I told him as I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, I believe in you."

The high-schooler seemed to suddenly receive a surge of confidence. "Yeah…Yeah! I can do this!"

I chuckled to myself as he headed for home…looking cool the whole way, of course, and I plopped back down on the bench to wait for my next 'kid sibling' and thought back on the last few years…

Tomoyo had surprised me when she took me back as easily as she did, though I did suspect that she would. While we got reacquainted I continued to receive visits from students, mainly from the industrial high school; apparently Shiro had worked overtime, telling other kids about me, so I ended up with a lot of traffic going through the recycle shop.

Under Pastor Jeff's guidance I discovered a 'gift' for helping others through their problems, though in hindsight I'd already had a hint of that due to my interactions with Shiro and, later, Tanaka. With this discovery, Kotomi realized that she could no longer help me; she understood human dynamics from an academic standpoint, but the practical side of it was way beyond her, so she introduced me to some of her parents' connections in America, people who specialized in psychology and counseling. While I couldn't afford to travel to America to study, we were able to work things out so I could still learn, using the computer that Takafumi had given me along with a stable internet connection. I had to learn a lot about technology in a relatively short amount of time, but my childhood friend along with my wife's kid brother helped square me away.

"Onii-chan?"

I turned, half-expecting to see a short girl with twin tails for some reason, and saw my next 'sibling'. "Hey, Mitsuki; glad you could make it." Tachibana Mitsuki was one of the few girls who took advantage of my 'Nii-san' program, and the only one comfortable enough with me to call me 'Onii-chan'. When I let Tomoyo know that I was someone's 'onii-chan', she simply chuckled as she rubbed her pregnant tummy, so I figured it was fine.

We chatted for a bit about her progress; she came from a rough family, with a father who was fighting alcoholism and an overworked mother who had been keeping the family together for the last few years. Being an only child, she really didn't have anyone to reach out to confide in about her trouble and stresses. At least until I came along.

"…so dad's doing a lot better," she finished. "He's meeting with a leader of a nearby temple…called 'God's Glory' or something like that."

"I know the pastor of that church," I said, certain that the twinkle in my heart showed in my eyes. "Pastor Jeff Ashton. Call him whatever you want-"

"…as long as it's not a profanity," she finished with me, and we laughed together. "That was one of the first things he said to Daddy when we first met him."

"'Daddy', huh?" I noted. "Is this a promotion?"

"I guess it would be," she said as she knotted her fingers nervously. "I just…feel a lot closer to him than I used to. I guess it's easier when he isn't throwing things."

"I could see that being an issue," I said with a wry smile. "My dad and I used to fight pretty much every day."

"You don't anymore?"

"Nope. After I moved out on my own, we kinda forgot what we were fighting about, so we apologized and went out to lunch."

"Was it really that easy?" She was almost on the edge of her seat, and I had to suppress a chuckle.

"Nope," I repeated. "We still had bad feelings to deal with so it took some time, but we dealt with them and made some better memories, creating better feelings to replace the bad ones. It took…gosh, almost two years? Yeah, two years."

"That's a long time," she mused.

"But it shows that even damaged relationships can be restored; you just have to be willing to invest the time into their restoration." I leaned back and flicked off a leaf I'd discovered on my shirt. "Anyway, I'm glad things are getting better for your family."

"Thank you; they are, and I owe it all to you," she said, leaning toward me with a look that I recognized, reminding me of why I didn't take on too many 'imoutos'; apparently I was handsome to more girls than just Tomoyo, so I had to be careful when counseling high-school girls. Impressionable high-school girls.

"You owe it all to yourself, your father, and your mother," I countered, hoping to put out her flame without hurting her. "The three of you had to work hard and be committed to the whole process for it to be a success."

"I guess you're right," she said, straightening up again, much to my relief. "Listen…even though this problem is getting better…would you still be my 'Onii-chan'?"

I smiled kindly as I looked at my precious 'imouto'. "As long as you need me."

* * *

I stumbled though the front door to my home and plopped down into a chair in the kitchen. "I'm home. And I'm exhausted!"

"Welcome home, honey," Tomoyo greeted from the stove. "I'm heating up water for tea. Do you want some?"

"Please; I could really use some right now."

"It sounds like it," she giggled as she turned back to the kettle. "Did that one girl flirt with you again?"

"I think so," I said as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "If she doesn't stop, I'm going to have to stop seeing her; I'd hate to cut off someone in need, but even if I were single I couldn't be in that kind of relationship with a client."

"It must be tough being so good-looking," she quipped with a sly grin.

"You would know," I countered. "I've seen the way guys look at you when we're out shopping."

"D-Don't remind me," she shuddered. "Damn, and I'm even six months pregnant. Can't they find better?"

"Nope!" I said. "That's why I'm lucky you married me."

"T-Tomoya…" she said and, the next thing I knew, she was taking my breath away with another of her mind-blowing kisses, the kind that got her pregnant in the first place. When she was done I made sure to give her a playful pat on the behind as she headed back to the stove. "Eep! Tomoya!"

I cackled and caught the towel she threw at me. "Sorry; that butt was just too sweet to resist."

"But I'm pregnant!"

"You sure are," I said as I got to my feet to take her in my arms. "You're going to be a mom, Tomoyo; what do you think of that?"

She pulled away from me to pour the boiling water into our mugs. "Nervous. Happy, but worried."

"Worried? How come?"

She paused as she started to stir the contents of my mug. "I don't want her to end up like me."

I smiled as I wrapped my arms around her again, making a point of resting my hands on her swollen abdomen. "You were a very angry girl, beautiful, and you had good reason to be. Just be the best 'Tomoyo' you can be and leave the rest up to God."

"God, huh?" We'd been to Pastor Jeff's church a few times, but she was having trouble warming up to the idea of a supposedly all-powerful being. "Where was he when my parents were divorcing or Takafumi threw himself in front of the car, or…"

We'd had this discussion several times, but she still had a hard time with it. "They made their choices, Tomoyo. So did your brother. So did you, and you can still make choices. Like choosing what kind of mother to be to our kid," I finished, giving her tummy an affectionate pat.

She sighed as she rested her free hand over mine. "My heart says you're right, but…it's hard."

"I'll bet," I said sympathetically. "But I'll be here with you every step of the way. I'll listen when you need me to, give you a shoulder to cry on when you need it, be your strength when you need it."

She let go of the spoon and turned within the circle of my arms to look up into my face. "I love you so much, Tomoya."

As I smiled down gently at her troubled eyes I understood that I'd never know all the demons my wife still carried, but I knew that with my help and her determination she would overcome any challenges that life set before her.

 _Rough Draft Complete_


End file.
